Exalt seeks local master distributor

Wireless backhaul vendor Exalt Communications has run into a "chicken and egg" situation in the course of its Australian growth.

Exalt has a channel in the U.S., with "hundreds" of VARs fed by five master distributors, Amir Zoufonoun, the company's founder and CEO said.

"We have a complete channel program with training and marketing," he told CRN. "In Australia, we don't have a master distributor yet, but we're looking for one."

Founded in 2004, the San Francisco-based company has 60 staff with a strong focus on technical expertise.

It works with channel partners who currently reach 800 customers including Tier 1 carriers, Governments and enterprises.

A partnership with Hong Kong-based business expansion agency Pacific Advantage (PAL) brought Exalt to Australia, where it is partnered with Minetec Communications to deploy microwave networks at mine sites.

Exalt also counts Telstra and some Government agencies as Australian customers, but with the aim of being be a "global single source" for microwave backhaul solutions, it still seeks to expand.

"We're not big in Australia but we're going to be, on the carrier side and enterprise as well," said 

"[We're] moving up the ladder, talking to executives at bigger companies ... but typically these people want to see some references. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation."

Zoufonoun positioned Exalt technology as cost-effective 1 Gbps wireless connectivity that could be easily installed in a "pay as you grow" model.

The products brought together time-division multiplexing (TDM) and internet protocol (IP) to deliver easily installed "plumbing" for wireless carriers, he said.