Ascend Communications has set its eyes on Asia-Pacific's SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) networking market, introducing a range of products targeted specifically at the WAN (wide area network) segment.
"It is a well-known fact that 90 per cent of all businesses in Asia have less than 100 employees," said Joe Roissier, director of marketing, Ascend Asia-Pacific. "With rapid technology advancements, SMEs expect to have access to the same solutions as their multinational counterparts."
Rather than sell directly to end users, Ascend will work within its existing base of customers, primarily the carriers and ISPs (Internet service providers), to bundle services such as ISDN (integrated services digital network) into a fully integrated value-added offer, explained Roissier.
The organisation is also targeting its desktop networking applications at specific markets such as finance, manufacturing and transportation, he added.
Shrink-wrapped into four main product packages, Ascend's SME offerings consists of its MAX 800 remote access concentrator, Pipeline routers 50 or 130, NavisAccess management tool, and SecureConnect Firewall.
Selling at Ascend's suggested retail prices of between $US2188 and $2288, the bundles will also be made available to end users through Ascend's existing network of channel partners throughout Asia-Pacific, Roissier said.
