CommTel, founded in 1998, is a value added reseller specialising in the provision of industrial and carrier grade communications systems and related technical services to both the utility and carrier markets. It has been a reseller of Ericsson gear since 2007 and of Nokia-Siemens networking equipment since 2008. For Ericsson it is selling optical transport, IP edge and microwave network products.
"CommTel has been a VAR of Ericsson's OMS/SPO optical products for many years but more recently has expanded its offering to SmartEdge, IP systems and Mini-Link microwave equipment," Ericsson said.
Ericsson announced the company's appointment as a channel partner earlier this month ahead of today's global announcement of the new global channel partner program.
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"While Select will be a relatively straightforward channel partnership, at each level the ties between the two companies will become stronger." Ericsson said. "At the Strategic level Ericsson will work closely with the partner's sales efforts, having a personal channel manager guiding them."
Jan Häglund, head of product area IP & broadband at Ericsson said: "We decided to launch a structured approach around channel partners so we can broaden our customer base and the addressable market for our solutions...What we do is very much focused on carriers but what we have in our portfolio now is very valuable for other segments."
Ericsson has set up a web site with information on the program and at which potential partners can register their interest, but Häglund said: "We will be very selective in our choice of partners so that they have the right competence and willingness.
"So far there has been an enormous interest to work with Ericsson and it's really win-win...We have the possibility to give global support but also local support. It's very much about local business, competence and successful delivery and we've committed to that."
Channel partners will gain access to an e-business portal that will provide a range of online resources, services and products and e-learning courses in product and sales.
Paul Mascitti, CommTel's general manager sales and business development, said the new channel program was "a necessary step forward, before this our needs were not properly met. This program brings all partners together and so we receive the support we need because the critical infrastructure is in place...
"[This] has provided us with the support to become self-sufficient and its online capabilities enable us to move quickly on opportunities."
He added: "The main benefit we are seeing from joining the program is more visibility in Ericsson. In the past, the only contact that we had was with Ericsson Australia, now we have a much more in-depth relationship with Ericsson."
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