Software provider Mindjet is planning to expand
its European growth strategy by creating three new
sales regions, with a particular emphasis on its core
markets of Germany, France and the UK. It has also
strengthened its European management team by
adding four new managers to control two of the
new departments.
Uwe Richter, Vice President EMEA at Mindjet,
says that the new groups are based around its
biggest European markets. “We have levelled out
the areas around the three languages of UK, France
and Germany. We will now have a better synergy
in the language scale. We will be able to better
eNTeRPRISe NeWS
Symantec: partners need expertise beyond the product
eUROPe
things are needed,” she says. English and should reach partners in May. They
“Partners are asking, ‘How do will then be subtitled with the 28 languages found
SECURITY software vendor we improve business? How do we across Symantec’s EMEA business.
Symantec is ringing the changes to move into new markets?’ A lot of www.symantec.com
its Partner Enablement Programme our partners feel they are missing
OUR ANALYSIS
in an effort to improve the out on information and they have
channel’s understanding of the asked us to help them to be more The security player is yet to notify its partners
security market. strategic.” about the impending changes, but it’s unlikely
Previously the scheme had The new Partner Enablement to cause a great deal of controversy. As with
concentrated on product training, Programme will have three tiers. everything else in Symantec’s channel, the Partner
but Symantec’s senior director The first is aimed at management Enablement Programme is ‘opt-in’ as opposed to
value channels EMEA, Terrie level, and educates partners how ‘opt-out’. Platinum and Gold-level partners are the
Anderson (right) says channel issues raised in Symantec’s IT Risk likely target for such training, plus some vertical
partners are keen to learn more Management Report impacts the industry specialists.
about overall security issues facing IT security market. The second tier Other than to get its channel singing from the
end-users. is targeted at senior sales people, while the third is same songsheet, Symantec wants partners to focus
“Beforehand it was pretty much product the existing product training. increasingly on the solutions end of the market and
training-focused and I’ve looked into what other Web-seminars will be recorded first of all in the increased education will help to add value.
Second-hand network kit booms across western eU
eUROPe
equipment if the customers pays recertification
and relicensing fees. Unfortunately, they elect to
NETWORK Hardware Resale (NHR), which make those fees extremely high, creating an undue
supplies pre-owned networking equipment, has burden on the customer.
just announced another year of record growth,
reinforced by a continuing expansion into new and Our response has been to provide hardware
existing international markets. Revenues for 2007 support to our customers so that they don’t
were $176.7m (€118.9m), surpassing the projected have to depend on the manufacturer. NHR fully
goal of $170m (€114.4m) and a 28% year-over-year guarantees all pre-owned equipment with a one
growth. year, advance equipment replacement warranty
NHR’s stellar financial performance also that includes technical support. Extended
contributed to positive earnings for the 32nd warranties are available, and we have plans to
consecutive quarter. The company says it leads launch 24x7 support for our customers in Europe
the secondary market for pre-owned networking this year.
equipment, including routers, switches, access to ship equipment to customers in eastern Europe,
servers and IP telephony equipment from vendors Where is the best place in europe? but that is changing.
ITe
such as Cisco, Extreme, Foundry and Juniper. Who buys this?
As an alternate source for refurbished network In 2007 we added dedicated account managers
gear, NHR continues to gain customer traction, Germany has long been our largest for the Polish and Turkish markets, and these
it say through a standard one-year warranty,
RW
European market followed by the UK, regions already show a great deal of potential. In
support, adoption of industry best practices as France and the Netherlands. As we continue to these emerging economies, businesses are rapidly
well as savings of up to 90% off OEM list prices. expand our sales force to serve other countries developing their data infrastructures, and we
We quizzed Robert Wolthuis (right), EMEA general including Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, and Eastern expect significant growth in our sales to the east
manager at NHR: Europe, NHR expects to see rapid growth in in 2008.
the demand for used networking equipment in
How does NHR cope with some these areas.
ITe
Why has france jumped in the figures?
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vendors, like Sun, not supporting
second-user stuff? ITe Does a lot go east? France has long been a strong market
RW
for us and grew aggressively in 2007
Some manufacturers do not embrace In the past eastern Europe has primarily due to the addition of new account
RW
RW
the secondary market for their represented a small minority of our managers. We continue to find French companies
equipment. NHR does not resell Sun products, sales, and it remains a largely untapped opportunity are eager to explore strategies that maximize their
so we can’t speak to their policies, but we are for NHR. In the past, we found logistical IT budgets without sacrificing the quality of their
familiar with Cisco’s, and they only support used impediments, particularly in Russia, made it difficult data networks. www.networkhardware.com
6 29 feb 2008
It0804 - 4-7_enterprise_news.ind6 6 27/02/2008 10:47:00
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