Allied Telesis: We will look after our enterprise partners

Vendor keen to sign small number of enterprise resellers to grow its market share and grab ground from rivals

Allied Telesis has set its sights on the enterprise market and is looking for a handful of partners to help it grow its footprint.

In return, the vendor, which counts Cisco as its biggest competitor, will look after those chosen few and ensure the market remains uncrowded.

Speaking to CRN at the Partner Connect event in Coventry, Carlo Wolf (pictured), EMEA vice president of sales at the vendor, said: “Allied Telesis is the best-kept secret in the networking industry and we are very determined. We have sales and marketing in our DNA and we are an engineering company. There is a tremendous opportunity to get with us and I need their [partners’] help to become a player in the enterprise market and unleash that best-kept secret.

“If we take some business from Cisco, that is nice collateral. But where we are in terms of brand awareness, we are focusing on 35 per cent of the market first. That part of the market where customers do not buy from the market leaders. There is enough of that type of market out there. Similarly, there are system integrators and resellers that also do not want to deal with the market leader.

“I definitely want more enterprise-related partner names on our books, for example looking at the top 20 [UK VARs], perhaps we could work with numbers six, 10 and 15. We do not want to over-distribute the product in the enterprise space because that is what drives margins down.”

Wolf said he understands what partners want from vendors and will ensure they are treated properly.

“We will make sure the market is not overcrowded,” he added. “Also our products are strong, reliable and not complex – we keep everything fancy out. Entry level is very easy and it is not a big investment on the part of the partner. They can also wrap services around our products as well and still enjoy margin on the hardware sale.

“I have seen channel strategies in the past where it is all about signing loads of new partners. I do not care for that approach. I am after quality. I want to make sure the partners that I have are happy and are repeat selling.”