Networking vendor ZyXEL has announced a trio of appointments it says reflects its investment in its channel.
It has named Antony Byford to its new head of channel for the UK and Ireland, James Harris as European market development manager for Digital Home Business Unit, and Jon Pearce as head of enterprise solutions market development.
Byford (pictured), who was formerly UK channel sales manager, takes full responsibility for all partner relationships and business development throughout the UK and Ireland. Harris, who previously held the position of head of product management, will be working on the strategic business development of ZyXEL’s consumer products business throughout Europe. Pearce, formerly market development manager for switching and wireless products, is tasked with the continued development of ZyXEL’s core switching, wireless and security solutions across the continent.
The appointments are part the company’s continuing growth plans, says ZyXEL’s European President, Lee Marsden. “We are continuing to invest in our channel, both to increase the number of partners we engage with and grow sales for the whole of our partner network.
“Over the past year, the UK and Ireland operation has been leading the way, bringing forward new initiatives, recruiting and training new resellers, elevating existing partner to higher levels of accreditation and growing our overall business.
“That’s resulted in strong growth and we want to capitalise on that success, both in the UK and Ireland and across Europe. By making these appointments and handing additional responsibility to this very competent trio of individuals, we’re putting those ambitions is into very capable hands.”
ZyXEL’s UK and Ireland sales in the first quarter of 2012 were up by 15 percent, in a networking market that was broadly flat. The firm says the improvement was mainly driven by increased sales of ZyXEL’s Unified Security Gateway (USG) appliances and 802.11n wireless access points and controllers. It also claims sales have been given a further boost since then due to increased spending in the education and public sectors.
A major product line refresh and additions to the company’s channel programme are expected during the second half of the year.
