[March 22, 2005]

'Vo-da, Vo Vo Vo, Vo Vo-da�'

By David Sims, TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist

Anyone who doesn’t remember The Kinks’ great song “Lola” is excused to go play in the sandbox now. Okay, the rest of you sing along: “Lo-la, Loh Loh Loh, Loh Lo-la…”

Voda One, a distributor of networking and communications products and a division of the global Westcon Group, Inc. has announced that its portfolio now includes switching solutions from Extreme Networks, Inc.

Yoda – excuse me, Voda One will provide pre-and post sales assistance in designing and implementing next generation IP solutions that combine Avaya and Extreme Networks products, such as Avaya gateways and edge devices and Extreme Networks solutions. They will also be launching a dealer preparedness training program for its solution provider customers who wish to become certified to resell Extreme and Avaya solutions.

The Tarrytown, New York-based company offers new levels of interoperability, increased performance and reduced deployment costs on converged and wireless network installations.

Distributing Extreme Networks’ convergence tools, including Avaya’s IP-based Communication Manager applications, media gateways and servers, Voda One also distributes Extreme Networks’ Ethernet switching platforms, including the BlackDiamond and Alpine chassis-type switch families with integrated Layer 3 data switching and routing capabilities.

These products enable enterprises to simplify the installation and operation of wired and wireless applications with a unified infrastructure.

Extreme Networks and Avaya jointly develop and market network and communication products that accelerate the adoption of converged infrastructures by customers, including IP telephony, advanced contact centers, IP messaging, systems management and unified communications.

The Avaya-Extreme Networks IP telephony tool integrates with existing circuit switched infrastructure, allowing enterprises to build out new network segments with integrated VoIP.

The best parody of “Lola” so far, and they are legion, is Weird Al Yankovic’s “Yoda.” Just another public service announcement, part of the added value we like to provide.

David Sims is contributing editor and CRM Alert columnist for TMCnet.