In an attempt to secure a slice of the lucrative networking pie, leading distributor Edge Technology has signed a deal with 3Com to deliver PCs preconfigured with 3Com networking solutions.
Edge is the latest inclusion to 3Com's Network Ready program, which already boasts more than 40 major partners worldwide including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer, Gateway 2000, Olivetti and Hitachi.
The Network Ready program is seen by many as 3Com's answer to Intel's "Intel Inside" campaign. It requires that partners' PCs contain a 3Com network interface product (NIC card, PC card or modem) that has been pre-installed, tested and configured for compatibility with the computer's hardware and software by the 3Com-approved partner at the assembly stage.
The deal is a cherry for Edge which already ships more than 300,000 PCs annually worldwide.
