Aruba launches SMB partner push across EMEA

Firm talks up new SMB-centric training facility in Cork

Aruba Networks has begun its hunt for a flurry of new SMB partners across EMEA as it unveils details of its beefed-up partner programme.

The mobility communications vendor specialises in providing wireless networking and delivering secure scalable wireless technology.

The firm has recently opened a new partner-training facility in Cork as well as overhauling its PartnerEdge programme to include an SMB-centric website, online training, and promotions and sales enablement support. It hopes the new resources will help with the recruitment of new partners in EMEA.

Karl Soderlund, vice president of worldwide channels for Aruba, told CRN: "We made a similar announcement in the US and hired a team of 15 inside channel managers to go and recruit and enable SMB partners, and in the first 90 days in the US we recruited over 600 partners.

"Now we have built the team in Cork, we are expecting the same type of acceleration throughout EMEA," he said.

Soderlund said Aruba is enjoying "great traction" in the largest nations in EMEA, such as Italy, Germany and particularly the UK.

"In the short term we have seen the highest uptake of new partners signed, and success, within the UK," he said.

The firm has 4,500 global partners and according to Dell'Oro Group, the SMB WLAN market could be worth $1.3bn (£860m) in several years.

Soderlund added: "In the SMB enterprise side of the market, which this initiative is about, in EMEA we are looking at 70 per cent year-over-year growth, which we managed last year. We are looking to duplicate that same growth this year so it's a very aggressive segment of the market for us."

Aruba has recently extended its distribution partnership with Arrow to include supply of all its products to British resellers.