Most vendors are pushing downstream, trying to gain a foothold in the elusive SMB market. But for networking vendor D-Link, which has traditionally played in the consumer and SMB space, the enterprise is its next big push.
And it will do this through a strategic distribution partnership in North America with specialty distributor Westcon Group, which specializes in networking, security, mobility and convergence. Westcon distributes products from Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks and Avaya, and has a track record of servicing large business customers, including the Fortune 500.
By inking this deal, D-Link will gain access to Westcon’s network of resellers, VARs and system integrators – and will go head-to-head against the likes of Cisco. Currently, D-Link distributes its product line through broadliners Ingram Micro and Tech Data.
Westcon will now carry D-Link’s xStack line of networking and convergence products, primarily through its Comstor division, which has traditionally focused on Cisco products.
Westcon’s resellers now have a lower-cost option they can offer to their customers, providing more of a value proposition for edge products.
Products will include D-Link’s Multilayer Switch series, a line of enterprise-class switching products that provide managed Layer 2 Ethernet switching and Layer 3 IP routing, as well as 10GB support. All products include security and QoS, and there are wireless alternatives for increased mobility.
While D-Link is pushing upstream, other vendors, such as Cisco, are pushing downstream to build their brand in the SMB market. Cisco, for example, wants its partners to sell its lower-end Linksys brand over other alternatives (like D-Link) in the SMB market.
Cisco, as of late, has been taking aim at smaller enterprises. It came out with the Smart Care Service earlier this month, designed to help SMBs simplify network maintenance – a service that is delivered through Cisco’s certified channel partners. It also launched a VoIP system aimed at small businesses.
But Cisco will face some of the same challenges that other large players – like SAP and Oracle – face. It still has to fight the perception of being a high-end, proprietary vendor that targets large enterprises. D-Link, on the other hand, could have the same problem at the other end of the scale, where it will have to prove its product lineup can meet the demands of the Fortune 500.
Of course, most businesses – large or small – are pressed for cash these days, so that gives D-Link an advantage right off the bat. However, the key ingredient to D-Link’s success in the enterprise market will be building the right channel. VARs have often credited Cisco for its commitment to the channel, so it remains to be seen if D-Link will do the same in the enterprise space.
