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Westcon Launches Nortel Networks IP Telephony Product Line With Multi-Location Sales, Complementary Product Offerings and Professional Services

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 October 2004, 12:00 CDT

Westcon's Convergence Solutions for SMB Market Help Resellers Lower Costs And Extend Network Infrastructure

Westcon, a specialty distributor of networking and communications technology products and a division of Westcon Group North America, Inc., announced that it is supporting its Nortel Networks* (NYSE: NT) IP Telephony solutions for small-to-medium businesses -- based on Nortel Networks Business Communications Manager (BCM) -- with targeted sales and product training sessions throughout North America. Westcon is enhancing the strength of its BCM solution by bundling complementary products from netIQ (to increase QoS), NICE (to add recording functionality) and many other manufacturers.

Nortel Networks BCM delivers small and medium-sized business and branch offices the only converged voice and data solution in the industry that provides a choice of IP-enabled or pure-IP strategies. By working with Westcon, resellers have access to an award-winning product line for the SMB market, combined with knowledge-driven sales training, product support and professional services.

To enhance its Nortel Networks BCM offering, Westcon will be providing professional services to support the entire product line. Westcon will be able to provide resellers with turnkey installation services and end-to end support, including:

-- Pre-sales configuration, design and programming

-- Staging, assembly and testing

-- Installation and implementation

-- End-user product training

Stuart Schwartzreich, director of Nortel Networks product management, Westcon Group North America, commented: "By offering resellers the products, training, sales support and professional services, we are encouraging resellers to pursue convergence opportunities with the BCM product family. Our arsenal of resources can augment any reseller's, helping create a compelling value proposition. Resellers should never have to walk away from an opportunity due to resource limitations or geographic restraints."

Based on Nortel Networks Qualified Sales Professional training program, Westcon will be conducting Fast Track training sessions centered on the BCM product family. Sessions will take place over a two-day period, and are designed to help solution providers learn to successfully position and sell BCM hardware, media bay modules and terminals to their customers. Courses have already been underway since September, and are planned for many North American cities including Washington, D.C., Calgary, AB, Parsippany, NJ and Syracuse, NY; enrollment is limited to 25 persons or less per class.

Joseph Hart, director NA stocking distribution of Nortel Networks, added: "We look forward to working with Westcon as we seek to broaden our IP Telephony user base, especially in the SMB market. Westcon's knowledge in the convergence market, combined with its complementary solutions portfolio and proven training initiatives, make it an ideal time for resellers to embrace the functional and economical benefits of BCM."

Joseph Garofalo, senior sales vice president of Emtec Inc., a Trenton, NJ-based solution provider, said: "By offering the BCM product line through Westcon, we are able to offer customized, bundled solutions to a wide range of customers. Also, by utilizing Westcon's professional services, we can have several installations happening simultaneously without over-extending our resources. When you combine this kind of support with an unparalleled BCM education initiative, it makes the offering very compelling for us overall."

About Westcon Group

Westcon Group, Inc. is a global specialty distributor of networking and communications equipment for leading technology vendors, including Cisco Systems, Inc., Nortel Networks Corporation and Avaya, Inc. Through its Westcon, Comstor and Voda One divisions, Westcon Group sells products and services to resellers, systems integrators and service providers. Westcon Group has particular expertise in the convergence of voice, data and video applications and technologies, including voice-over Internet protocol, or VoIP, security for networking and communications systems, remote access, Internet and e-business, virtual private networks, videoconferencing and wireless connectivity. For more information, visit www.westcongroup.com.

(*) Nortel Networks is a trademark of Nortel Networks.

Source: Business Wire

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