3Com "Switched On" in China

Effective in motivating the attending partners, Dechant then handed over to Peter Chai, vice president and general manager, 3Com Asia Pacific to provide a more in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the vendor and the specific issues that are being addressed to facilitate growth in APAC.

3Com has allocated considerable resources to the Focus Partner Program, which aims to strengthen channel relationships. It is the company’s way of giving something back to partners by providing the tools and advice to effectively sell and support 3Com products. Chai added that there needed to be reciprocal commitment from both the vendor and partners in order for growth to occur on both fronts.

“Without commitment you end up doing things a little half-heartedly,” said Chai. “Commitment is fundamental to the strength of the partnership and we want to make everyone – both sides – committed and able to cater to the needs of the customer.”

3Com also announced enhancements to the existing model that offer greater benefits for channel partners in APAC. These include the integration of H3C switching products into the 3Com enterprise LAN specialisation, which in turn enables the integration of H3C partners to the 3Com partner infrastructure; and SMB solutions specialisation offering rewards to partners that sell 3Com products targeted at small business.

“Following the integration of 3Com and H3C technologies in July 2007, H3C was ideally positioned as a strategic solution suite of 3Com, targeting the large enterprise market,” said Chai. “Having H3C partners integrated into the partner program allows advanced solutions such as IP storage, IP surveillance and the soon-to-be-launched multiple services router to be brought to customers in APAC faster.”

SMBs account for 35 percent of 3Com sales in APAC and therefore the inclusion of SMB solutions specialisation in the program creates an opportunity for resellers to expand their customer base. Another advantage is smaller businesses can benefit from the expertise and product offerings provided by 3Com, said Chai.

“Small business product lines in the Focus Partner Program will have an immediate effect on streamlining the SMB solution go-to-market process and rewarding partners selling these products with quarterly rebates plus many other new benefits,” said Chai.

There were no false pretences claiming that the name 3Com holds considerable weight in the current IT landscape, and this acknowledgment of poor branding has directed resources to the company’s marketing division. Chai comments that more work needs to be done to boost the esteem of the 3Com name.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said Chai. “You’ll be hearing from us and customers will be hearing a lot more, not just about the 3Com brand, but also about how to present the 3Com brand.”

There are no insecurities, however, regarding the quality of 3Com products – and both Chai and Dechant emphasise that strong product offerings are the foundation of 3Com’s business strategy. The lack of recognition in the market up until now is attributed to poor marketing and a lack of engagement with the distribution channel.

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