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Global enterprises are hungry for solutions that will allow their remote and mobile workers to carry out tasks just as if they were in the office. The goal for these organizations -- and the mobile operators and equipment manufacturers that serve them -- is to put mobile computing devices into the hands of all workers so they can be productive no matter where they are, thus helping companies maximize the value of the labor force.

 

This is especially true in the Czech Republic, an emerging market where, according to recent research from Gartner (News - Alert), IT spending is expected to exceed $13 billion by 2012. What’s more, IT spending will represent greater than 13 percent of the Czech Republic's GDP.

 

To capitalize on this opportunity, Westcon Group, a systems integrator, service provider and reseller of Cisco (News - Alert) networking products, is opening a Comstor office in Prague and will build a network of resellers to fan out across the region. The company just announced last week that it has become the first distributor to sign a global distribution agreement with Cisco.

In addition to offering Cisco products and services, Comstor (News - Alert) will also establish three of its Cisco-focused solutions programs in Prague: OneNetwork, OneVoice and OneDefense. These programs offer product information, market intelligence and sales tools to resellers. The goal is to provide Czech-based resellers with a centralized source of networking solutions based on Cisco technologies.

In a release, Jon Pritchard, vice president of Comstor Europe, said the investment in the region is a “fundamental component of our broader emerging market strategy with our global vendor partner, Cisco.”

“We look forward to helping our new customers quickly scale new opportunities while helping them become more successful,” he said.

“By opening its Comstor operations in Prague, Westcon Group provides the Czech Republic's reseller channel with a very strong Cisco oriented value proposition, backed with all the product expertise, support services and Cisco expertise our customers would expect,” added Tomas Kupka, Cisco's channel manager in the Czech Republic.

Last year, Tarrytown, NY-based Westcon Group was named both Cisco's "Global Distributor of the Year" and Cisco's "Multi-Theatre Partner of the Year," an award never before presented to a distributor.

 

Westcon Group, which specializes in the convergence of voice, data and video applications and technologies, also resells solutions from Nortel, Avaya and Polycom (News - Alert). As a service to its customers, the company recently launched its so-called “New Start America” program, which includes Web sites from value-added resellers with information about stimulus funds coming out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including local opportunities and white papers that talk about what technologies could see more government dollars.

Also as a service to its customers, the company recently released the second global edition of its “Network Convergence (News - Alert) Solutions Handbook,” which will be offered both as an ebook and as a standalone comprehensive desk reference.