Session Border Controller Featured Article

February 20, 2013


Westcon Group Becomes the First Distributor to Achieve Microsoft Gold Communications Competency in EMEA


By Jyothi Shanbhag
TMCnet Contributor

Westcon Group (News - Alert) has announced that it is the first value-added distributor (VAD) worldwide to achieve Microsoft's (News - Alert) Partner Network Gold Communications competency.


Westcon Group is a value added distributor of category-leading unified communications, network infrastructure, data center, and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers. The company also has Lync eco-systems in distribution that includes Active Communications, Acme Packet, Advatel, Altigen, AudioCodes, Jabra (News - Alert), Plantronics, Polycom, snom and Sonus.

Microsoft awards the Gold Communications competency designation to companies that demonstrate rigorous standards for revenue, service support, and customer satisfaction throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Westcon was chosen for displaying its ability to meet stringent technology and customer satisfaction requirements set forth by Microsoft -- providing best-in-class Microsoft Lync-based solutions to customers.

"Being the first VAD worldwide to achieve Gold Communications certification is a tremendous achievement for our EMEA business -- and testament to Westcon's commitment to Microsoft and its Lync solutions," said Guy Koster , director of Microsoft Lync Business Practice EMEA, Westcon Convergence (News - Alert). "Microsoft's most recent earnings report showed its Lync business growing at 35 percent. We look forward to capitalising on this momentum with our customers, our Lync eco-system vendors, and Microsoft to fully exploit resulting opportunities utilising our powerful 'Simplification, Orchestration, Acceleration' messaging and partner enablement programmes."

Microsoft supports the Gold-Level members with the various tools, training, and information to empower their partners with leading-edge Microsoft-based solutions and services.

Scott Brown, senior director Worldwide Lync Enterprise Voice at Microsoft said, “As the first global VAD to achieve Gold Communications certification, Westcon has clearly demonstrated its value -- delivering integrated and customised sales and marketing, pre-and post-sales support, and services to support today's channel demand for Lync."

Westcon Group's portfolio of market-leading vendors includes: Cisco, Avaya, Brocade, Polycom (News - Alert), Check Point, and Blue Coat.




Edited by Brooke Neuman

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