Extreme Networks: Challenging times require flexibility

Networking company Extreme Networks has announced it is offering free cloud technical certification training through to 20 July that can be completed from anywhere in the world via an internet connection.

The course covers WLAN fundamentals, ExtremeCloud IQ, our fourth-generation cloud management platform and ExtremeWireless technologies.

Extreme is also offering customers the ability to get the network solutions they need today while preserving working capital by allowing them to defer payment until July 2020 with Extreme Capital Solutions.

Former Extreme Networks channel manager and current general manager A/NZ Julian Critchlow told CRN, “these are very, very challenging times”.

“Companies in our space have to stand up and deliver [products, services to] make things different from the past,” he said. “We look at previous instances where the Internet can [allow us] to communicate effectively with each other over different mediums.”

Critchlow said channel partners and the industry needed to stay agile by adding whatever they can to help people get over the current challenges that they face in their lives.

He was adamant the free Cloud technical certification was the right course to begin with, because Cloud technology-as-a-platform, needed to be deployed “in a secure manner”.

“I believe we've made the right choice in our first online offering. I suspect other things will come down the line in the same model,” he said. “But first things first, it was the most relevant one that we could learn to help our channel, eventually help our end users and I guess the wider community.”

Extreme Networks has been running online courses in Australia for the past two years.

“I believe what the next challenge will be is basically upskilling,” he said. “End users want to make sure that you know the technology and where the rubber hits the road.”

While organisations are trying to unpack what stimulus means for them in their business and their eligibility, Extreme Networks sees flexible in payments the only way to move forward.

“We have our own capital services offering where we can be flexible in how the technology is consumed, as both an OPEX or as a CAPEX,” he said. “[Resellers] offer our technology via hardware, or software as a complete as a service model with very, very flexible terms.

The bottom line is we understand that there's going to be a significant degree of flexibility required the upcoming months.”

Critchlow added “large capital investments are not the correct way of approaching” future projects in current climate.

“Channel partners and end users [must] find the most appropriate technology and services required to fit genuine requirement,” he said. “I think our approach where we've been flexible with payment terms and start dates is, is part of that conversation.”

He said channel partners must have flexible ways that that technology can be consumed.

“The current challenges out there shouldn't get mired down in very, very traditional ways of acquisition of… you know, product services, and so on,” Critchlow added. “We all should be looking to be as flexible as possible to meet the genuine requirement is going to be coming down the line.”