Extreme Networks has swapped Avnet for Distribution Central as it looks to take a greater value-adding approach to market.
Extreme Networks regional director, Simon Barnard, said the decision did not reflect Avnet’s performance as a distributor, but simply that the vendor felt Distribution Central unit, NetWorld Systems, was a better fit for the business.
“Avnet is very good from a logistics sense, but I needed additional value to be brought in,” Barnard said. “The volume of our business doesn’t allow the support of two distributors in Australia, and we feel that Distribution Central is the right distributor to drive our business forward.”
The transition would take a couple of months, Barnard said, with Avnet’s existing stock and projects to be completed prior to Distribution Central taking over as the sole representative.
Distribution Central sales and marketing director, Nick Verykios, claimed the partnership presented an opportunity to take on a growing vendor in a growing market.
“Extreme is also a very green-centric vendor, which is very important to us,” he said.
Distribution Central also represents Force 10 and Alcatel Lucent, which have product offerings in the same area as Extreme Networks, but Verykios said he expected little conflict between the vendors.
“Alcatel has some products in the upper end, but it’s a converged play, and Extreme is a point product,” he said. “There also won’t be conflict with the Force 10 relationship, as it is now set.”
Avnet had not returned calls for comment at the time of publication.
