Dell enters channel

Dell`s entry into the channel could have greater implications for distributors and the vendor than it imagined, says Channel Insider.

One of the thornier issues that the channel as a whole is going to have to come to terms with now that Dell has a formal channel programme is the company`s growing footprint as a distributor.

Beyond selling millions of machines, Dell also resells, among other things, storage products from EMC; virtualisation software from VMware and Virtual Iron; printers from Lexmark, Xerox and Samsung; and a raft of security products from multiple vendors.

Software vendor Citrix has launched a channel recruitment push around its recently acquired application acceleration products, reports VNU Net.

The vendor has 56 resellers pushing its Netscaler and WANScaler products in the UK, but wants to boost that to 150 within the next 12 months.

Kevin Bland, director of channel sales of Citrix UK and Ireland, said: "Citrix bought into the WAN space about two years ago. It is a growing market, so Citrix wants to grow with it."

Avistar Communications announced its jump into the channel, unveiling plans for a worldwide reseller programme the company hopes will reinvigorate sales and help it hit markets outside of financial services, says CRN.

Simon Moss, president and soon-to-be CEO of Avistar, said there were three key drivers to launching the reseller programme: the direct sales model had hit a plateau; the company wanted to better position itself against other unified communications vendors; and it wanted to diversify its client base, which has been focused solely on the financial services market.

Avistar, Moss said, also wants to gain traction in new global territories that have remained untapped. Avistar already has an installed base in North America and Europe, but also wants to hit new targets in Asia and others.