Westcon Group and snom technology AG Sign New Distribution Agreement for EMEA

Westcon Group Resellers to Benefit from Access to Award-Winning IP and Microsoft Lync Qualified Endpoints as Part of UC Vendor Eco-System

Westcon Group, a value-added distributor of category-leading unified communications, network infrastructure, data centre and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers, today announced its convergence business practice has signed a new distribution agreement with snom technology AG to distribute their IP and Lync qualified endpoint devices across EMEA.

snom's portfolio of cutting-edge SIP-based telephony devices are recognised for their rugged commercial grade performance, reliability and ease of interoperability which has made them the VoIP handset partner of choice for the industry's leading VoIP service providers, hosted VoIP, IP PBX and Unified Communications solution vendors.

"This new agreement builds upon our recently announced collaboration with Microsoft and their Lync Hardware Catalogue, strengthening our stated desire to make Lync business easier and more profitable for customers. In addition to their award-winning, feature-rich and simple-to-deploy products, snom brings Lync compatible devices to market at highly attractive price points," said Guy Koster, European Director of Product Management and Product Marketing at Westcon Convergence. "We are very excited about the opportunities this relationship will bring, both to our partners and our rapidly growing Lync business practice."

He continued, "The snom UC portfolio expands functionality beyond voice by adding support for the productivity features included in Microsoft Lync™ 2010. snom products will be an integral part of Westcon’s Lync ecosystem, complemented by an integrated supply chain proposition encompassing, sales and pre-sales support, marketing, services and training."

"We believe Westcon Group brings an unrivalled UC proposition to their channel partners - particularly around Microsoft Lync. Resellers who include snom in their proposals will experience a significant increase in gross profit margins on UC solution sales," said Rudi Stahl, Vice President Sales EMEA, snom. "This distribution agreement is a great opportunity for partners to dramatically increase profits while meeting end customer expectations of improved collaboration and productivity associated with deployment of UC solutions. We expect Westcon’s expertise and world-wide distribution programmes to deliver significant benefit for snom and our channel partners."

The snom 300, 370 and 821 Microsoft Lync qualified UC series handsets are available immediately through Westcon Convergence. To learn more about Westcon's snom and UC solutions please visit www.westcon.com/go/uc.

To learn more about snom’s channel activities in the UK, go to www.snomchannel.co.uk ; follow us on Twitter; like us on Facebook; or join our LinkedIn group.

Westcon Group, Inc. is a value added distributor of category-leading unified communications, network infrastructure, data center and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers. Westcon’s teams create unique programs and provide exceptional support to accelerate the business of its global partners. Strong relationships at every level of the Westcon Group organisation enable partners to receive support tailored to their needs. From global logistics and flexible customised financing solutions to pre-sales, technical and engineering assistance, the company works with partners to respond with agility and speed to changing market conditions so they can achieve the fastest time to revenue. Westcon Group’s portfolio of market-leading vendors includes: Juniper Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Polycom, F5, Avaya, Check Point, and Blue Coat. For more information, please visit westcongroup.com.

About snom

snom technology AG develops and manufactures VoIP telephones and related equipment based on the IETF open standard, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). Recognised for its high-quality, customisable, and cost-effective business solutions, snom is also differentiated by the company’s history in the VoIP industry and its dedication to high security standards. All of snom’s products, from desktop phones to IP PBXs, are designed to be fully interoperable with leading communications equipment vendors. snom customers benefit from the interoperability and flexibility that the snom telephones offer, including plug-and-play integration and universal compatibility with any SIP-based telephony platform. In September 2011, the snom 300 and the snom 821 were the first SIP phones to be officially tested and qualified as interoperable with Microsoft Lync™ by Microsoft.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, snom technology AG also has offices in Italy, France, the UK and the US For more information on snom, please visit www.snom.com.