Micro-P stresses commitment to PBX space

Distributor fends off attack from rival Nimans following remodelling of comms business

Micro Peripherals (Micro-P) has stressed it remains "absolutely committed" to the PBX and comms space following a verbal broadside from rival distributor Nimans.

Micro-P last week parted ways with comms heads Phil Adams and Philippa Parrish after taking the decision to fold its comms business into its networking arm. It poached both from Nimans around a year earlier.

Nimans - a 30-year veteran of the PBX market - has been quick to paint the move as "another illustration of the difficulties rival players face when trying to get a strong foothold in the voice arena".

However, Micro-P has issued a follow-up statement emphasising that PBX is a "key growth and focus opportunity" for the distributor in 2012 and that it remains "absolutely committed to the comms channel".

NEC and Samsung will remain key franchises for Micro-P this year, it added.

Micro-P sales and commercial director Paul Bryan (pictured) said: "The tremendous 55 per cent growth we have enjoyed over the last year will be fully capitalised on as we transition the unified comms messaging and support into the Networking Division.

"In addition we will be offering resellers a complete solution for pre- and post-sales support across networking, AV solutions, comms PBX and hosting. We fully intend to retain and grow our number-one position on Samsung PBX and our status as fastest growing EMEA distributor for NEC PBX solutions - this move is a strategic one that gives Micro-P a true converged proposition to take to market."

Despite this, Nimans group sales director Richard Carter used the duo's departure as an opportunity to talk up his firm's three-decade pedigree in the PBX market.

"Micro-P seems to have joined a line of other data-centric distributors who have tried to enter the voice market but found it's not quite as easy as they first thought," Carter said.

"Our customers appreciate we are here for the long haul."