Expand stretches into generalist market

Vendor reverts back to broader routes to market

A blossoming WAN optimisation market has led Expand Networks to reverse its 2009 decision to pursue niche distribution routes to market.

The vendor has added security and convergence Wick Hill to its UK distribution stable, in the hope that the Woking-based VAD can serve a more generalist market.

Matthew Matthews, UK sales director at Expand, stressed that Wick Hill is a value-added player, but one that can increase the vendor's channel footprint.

"What Wick Hill brings us is the ability to go after the branch office and the general IT market, this is a strategic decision to broaden [our reach]," he said.

"With what is happening with cloud and virtualisation within the datacentre, arguably now is the time for mass adoption of our technology."

Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of Wick Hill, told CRN he hoped to sign up 25-30 key strategic reseller partners for Expand over the coming year, on top of VARs keen to cash in on "tactical opportunities".

""This is a great opportunity for the channel to get a leading product and differentiate themselves from other competitors that may not have the same technical power or margin opportunity," added Kilpatrick.

In 2009 Expand axed Vcomm and IQSys from its distribution line-up after both firms were swallowed by larger distributors. In their stead, the WAN optimisation signed up niche players Cloud Distribution, Sematron and CDG UK. ChannelWeb understands the relationship between Expand and CDG will wind down over the coming weeks. The distributor signed with rival WAN optimisation player Silver Peak earlier in the year.

Scott Dobson, managing director of Cloud Distribution, said: "[Signing Wick Hill] is a good move for Expand, it gets them into a broadline distribution space we do not really play in, and leaves us as the boutique specialist."

Oren Taylor, managing director of CDG, said: "Expand is a great technology and we wish them well, but I think the future of the innovation space where we play isn't going to be led by Expand."