Cloud Distribution signs newcomer vendor Peplink

Distributor insists canning of vendor iViZ earlier this year is unrelated to new signing

VAD Cloud Distribution has announced the signing of newcomer Peplink as its fourth vendor.

The US and Hong Kong-based internet load balancing company, whose offerings include WAN and LAN internet solutions, recently launched in the UK and will join Cloud Distribution's line-up alongside Meraki, Vyatta and Vitar.

Peplink currently has about 10 UK partners which were managed remotely from the US and Hong Kong before its UK launch.

The vendor, whose full partner programme is due for release later in the year, recently hired a UK-based technical engineer alongside UK country manager Andy Harris.

Harris said the company's focus is to specialise within the UK verticals of hospitality and mobility.

"We are all about looking for a wide base of specialist resellers. We want coverage across niche markets and that is why we picked a VAD instead of a broadliner," he added.

"Cloud Distribution is positive and focused, and with its current portfolio of complementary products, we can see that it will be easy to add our solutions for its existing reseller base to take to market."

The distributor, which was established in 2009, looked to diversify its vendor base in October last year, and cut ties with vendor iViZ at the start of 2012 after just a few months of working together.

Greg Harris, founder of Cloud Distribution, claimed the departure of iViZ was unrelated to Peplink's signing.

He said: "IViZ are not on our radar any more; there was not the correct fit between us and they left in January.

"With iViZ, it was a software sell, and it was difficult in a SaaS environment for us to add value there, but its departure is not connected to signing Peplink."