Distributor Nuvias Group's Zycko division is to offer Nokia's networking products across EMEA in moves which prepare for data-driven scaling of customers in the mid-market, and IoT. At the heart of this is a new Nokia which is preparing for a channel push into high value areas such as SDN, and what was previously regarded as carrier-grade products which are finding their way into data centres and enterprises.
David Galton Fenzi, CEO at Zycko says the distributor had been talking with Alcatel-Lucent about its technologies for a while, and says that the new Nokia has some interesting solutions which complement his existing portfolio. “Nokia is innovating at a high rate, and the increasing data and traffic on networks, both mobile and fixed, is driving demand.” While those resellers currently looking at carrier-grade products are arguably few in number, the growth in scale and the added reach in EMEA which Nuvias, having just added another arm through acquisition, makes this viable. He can see resellers for the Nokia products numbered in hundreds in EMEA, but growing considerably, especially as IoT develops.
David Parker, Nokia's VP Strategic Partners, says this is a strategic move to build incremental channels and support services, particularly around the expanding SDN business. Nokia does not have a channel history as such but that this sort of business has a very high services content, and that with Nokia adding investment and headcount in this sector, it can build on its credibility. In EMEA Nokia will work with Nuvias to build the brand in the channel. Nokia will maintain a single tier relationship with some resellers, and a direct dealing approach to a small number of operator customers working at webscale.
David Galton Fenzi says Zycko is already engaged with resellers, especially service providers for Nokia sales, and that there is a healthy pipeline going forward: “We are already seeing significant business.” He sees the need to offer full capabilities across both mobile and fixed communications systems which will only continue to rise in EMEA.