Adtran Reaches Out to SMB VARs with New Program
By familiarizing unaffiliated resellers with its products, Adtran hopes to bring them into its formal partner program.
By Cecilia Galvinalvin
A new value-added distribution (VAD) program from Huntsville, Ala.-based Adtran Inc. was created to help grow its partner base with unaffiliated resellers that target SMBs. Adtran also seeks to increase the availability of its NetVanta products.
Two specialty distributors–Interlink Communication Systems Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., and Jenne Distributors Inc. of Avon, Ohio–have been tapped for the program. Interlink and Jenne have had the training and earned any necessary NetVanta certifications, enabling smaller resellers to buy even those products that require certification prior to purchase.
“On a number of occasions our distributors told us that resellers had contacted them to buy our NetVanta 7100 IP telephony solution, for instance, but then discovered they couldn’t purchase it without first investing in a demo system and going through a four-day training class,” says Ted Cole, VP of channel sales for Adtran’s Enterprise Networks Division. “We felt that was a barrier we needed to overcome.” The new program helps engage these resellers and provides them with a way to compete.
Adtran is also working with the VADs to create best-of-breed product bundles that combine Adtran products with those from other leading manufacturers. Resellers benefit by having a number of turnkey solutions for a variety of technology areas as well as distributor support. “VARs are able to leverage [distributor] service, support, and logistics without added expense or resources,” says Cole. “Hopefully it’s a better experience for the solution provider.”
