Avnet and Westcon win Extreme Networks distie review
Networking vendor cuts UK distribution line-up to two
Extreme Networks is moving forwards with Avnet and Westcon as its two UK distributors following a global distribution rationalisation process designed to establish fewer, more meaningful alliances.
The vendor has cut the number of distributors it works with globally, with Arrow and Mayflex understood to have lost out in the UK.
Westcon was one of the three UK incumbents, but Avnet is an addition to the UK line-up, building on its existing relationship with Extreme in the DACH region, the Nordics and Turkey.
Extreme has worked with Avnet in Germany for 15 years and Kai Gutzeit, regional director western EMEA at Extreme, said it made sense to broaden the relationship, not only to the UK but also to the Benelux region.
Extreme said last summer that it wanted to go deeper with fewer distributors and resellers in recognition of the fact it was over-distributed in the wake of its restructuring.
"Within the overall distribution rationalisation process we decided to expand on our existing relationship we had with Avnet in the German-speaking region," Gutzeit said.
"We have reduced the amount of distributors solely for the purpose of making it more meaningful for ourselves and for the distributors."
Gutzeit (pictured) said Westcon and Avnet would give its UK resellers a good balance of suppliers.
"We are giving partners the choice as they like to have the opportunity to spread purchasing power across distributors," he said.
"Avnet has partners that we have not spoken to yet and that is something we want to leverage together."
Not all major territories have been left with as few as two distributors, with Germany still having four, Gutzeit said.
He added that Extreme's ranking as a "Visionary" in Gartner's latest Magic Quadrant on wireless and wired networks reflects its progress.
"Extreme has always been leading-edge when it comes to infrastructure technology," he said.
He added: "From a business perspective, we offer partners a great opportunity to make money, and we are fun, dynamic and easy to work with."