Huawei Australia has sealed two new distribution deals with Synnex and iCITA in a bid to grow its enterprise channel, and has parted ways with DNA Connect.
The appointment comes just a short time after former IBM distribution sales manager, Leo Lynch, took the helm as the Chinese telecommunications giant's enterprise channel director.
Lynch told ARN that DNA Connect and Huawei came to a mutual understanding that both organisations were moving a different direction.
"We explained our strategy... and we both thought it would be best to part ways at this point." he said.
DNA Connect marketing director, Paul Sadler, said DNA Connect had recently conducted a comprehensive review of its Huawei business.
"Based on the results of this review, Huawei's future strategic direction and other significant opportunities available to DNA Connect, we decided to terminate our distribution agreement with Huawei," he said.
"We wish Huawei the very best for the future. The product innovation they bring to the market is very impressive."
The two new distributors for Huawei will apply different go-to-market strategies and address unique market segments, distributing Huawei’s broad enterprise ICT solutions to a larger portfolio of clients.
iCITA will provide channel partners with design consultancy and datacentre infrastructure services, while Synnex Australia will distribute large volumes of IT products across Australia.
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Huawei will also work closely with each partner to recruit and train resellers.
iCITA is specialist distributor combining a group of companies to support telecommunications and Managed Service providers.
Lynch said iCITA was the company's "services play", while Synnex brought a broader market to build the company's "run-rate".
"We needed a specialist portfolio and we see them [iCITA] as complementary to Synnex," he said.
"This is not the first time I have brought Synnex on as a vendor."
iCITA chief executive, Damien Stephens, said the group had market-leading ICT architecture and consultancy experience built on Huawei’s infrastructure and datacentre solutions.
"This partnership will allow us to evolve and grow our offering for the ICT channel,” he said.
“At iCITA, we’re focused on supporting the ICT channel market by building quality, long term technology strategies.
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"iCITA has been enabling clients to transition into marketforward cloud solutions through wholesale cloud and infrastructure services,” he said.
Lynch said Huawei had firm plans to extend its reach broader and deeper beyond its established business.
"Huawei has the broadest range of ICT products from any single vendor in Australia.”
“The partnerships with iCITA and Synnex Australia will enable our channel partners to grow existing relationships and win new business.
Lynch said iCITA and Synnex were highly respected within the ICT distribution market in Australia.
“Through continuous customer centric innovation, Huawei and our distribution partners will respond quickly and comprehensively to customers’ needs helping them to plan for future growth and create a connected society,” he said.
Synnex Australia chief executive, Kee Ong, said the partnership would build on its success with a range of innovative channel offerings including pre-sales, sales specialists, solution architects, demand generation, partner technical enablement, certifications and sales support.
"Synnex Australia will continue to provide our reseller partners with the latest technology, which in turn provide solutions to SMB, Enterprise and Government entities across Australia,” he said.
