Cisco, D&H Expand Partnership to Canada

The partnership will combine Cisco's SMB (small and midsize business) solutions with D&H's specialized service and support capabilities for SMBs, officials with the companies said, and it is designed to increase the number of Cisco SMB partners in Canada.

D&H executives say Unified Communications will be a top technology in 2008. Click here to find out what other technologies will be hot in the SMB space.

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Cisco has put more muscle behind its efforts to win more SMB partners over the past year with the introduction of more products designed for the space, including a unified communications system and entry-level managed services offering, in addition to greater focus on the company's "Commercial" business unit that caters to SMBs.

"By building right-sized communications solutions such as the Cisco Smart Business Communications Systems and investing in SMB channel programs such as Select Certification, Cisco is definitely gaining momentum in the SMB market," said Dan Schwab, vice president of marketing at D&H, in a statement.

The partnership expansion announcement also builds on recent moves by D&H. The distributor announced its Canadian expansion in July 2007, opening its first international warehouse location in Mississauga, Ontario. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based distributor said at the time that it expected the Canadian expansion to ultimately yield more than 1,000 new partners for the company's North American base.

Cisco is hoping to leverage that.

"Small business represents a tremendous growth opportunity for Cisco and our partners," said Julie Hens, senior director of distribution for U.S. and Canada channels at Cisco, in a statement. Hens added that D&H became a Cisco specialty distributor in the U.S. two years ago and has doubled its Cisco revenue in the last year.