Datatec's New York based global channel provider, the Westcon Group, today took a further step towards dominating the voice -data convergence technology distribution market by acquiring two major distributors of Lucent Technologies voice products.

The acquisition of Inacom Communications for a consideration of approximately $23 million and CCA Technologies for a consideration of approximately $14 million, are to be funded in cash from Westcon's internal facilities and are still subject to various US regulatory approvals and further formal agreements.

Westcon will merge the acquisitions into a new division to be called Voda One, which will then be one of three vendor-focused distribution businesses in the Westcon Group.

The Voda One division has projected revenues of over $200 million for the 2001 financial year, making Westcon the largest Lucent voice distributor in the industry. Westcon also holds a global distribution agreement with Lucent covering the Enterprise Networks Group's Cajun Campus high-performance LAN switches and Lucent's WAN solutions.

Westcon has organised its divisions by vendor association in order to provide customers with the most qualified networking solutions available, and to best support the innovative products of its vendors. Voda One will have a Lucent Technologies focus; Westcon, a Nortel Networks focus; and Comstor, a Cisco Systems focus. All divisions will benefit from the Group's value-added approach to provide comprehensive professional services, pre-and post-sales support, training, and vertical market development.

This vendor oriented, convergence focused structure uniquely positions the Westcon Group as a leader in helping data and voice providers make the transition to the new model of a 'converged communications solution provider '.

"Westcon has been targeting an advantageous market position as the industry evolves toward a broader convergence, or communications, space," says Alan Marc Smith, vice president and chief operating officer of the Westcon Group. "Yet the products have only recently come to market to let us realize this goal. Our strategy solidifies Westcon's status as the first distributor with a true spectrum of convergence offerings, as the ongoing confluence of voice and data technologies are cultivated".

"Right now, sales of data and voice products are segmented. Voice and data providers exist in parallel. In the future, each will need the expertise to sell the other's products. The Westcon Group is positioning itself to provide that expertise in partnership with its customers, helping to make a divergent market a convergent market"

Historically, the Group has a successful record in defining market opportunities that are driven by emerging technologies. Says Roman Michalowski, president and chief executive officer of the Westcon Group: "As the market embraces convergence, new expertise is necessary in the channel in order to compete. We can deliver that knowledge in a way that confirms our original value proposition: using a select vendor focus to provide deep and specific expertise."

Says Edison Peres, Lucent Enterprise Networks Group Vice-President of Distribution Development and Management: "Westcon, Inacom Communications and CCA Technologies have proven to be excellent distribution resources for our reseller channel. We're pleased that the Westcon Group will now carry an expanded line of Lucent enterprise products. Our goal is to offer our customers a simplified way to obtain comprehensive voice, data and converged solutions. "

"Both telecommunications dealers and data solution providers need the dual-market savvy that the Westcon Group has just acquired," confirmed Paul Reitmeier, president of Inacom Communications. "Voda One can aggregate Lucent's voice and data components, provide integration services for Lucent communication and application servers, and ultimately bundle complete communications solutions to the channel."

Customers of both Inacom Communications and CCA Technologies stand to benefit significantly from Westcon's new stature. Jack Friedman, president and chief executive officer of CCA Technologies said: "Our Lucent dealers are excited about the potential to offer a complete range of Lucent services and products required to design and build integrated convergence solutions, such as IP telephony, unified messaging, call center design and more."

Westcon will merge the acquisitions into a new division to be called Voda One, which will then be one of three vendor-focused distribution businesses in the Westcon Group.

The Voda One division has projected revenues of over $200 million for the 2001 financial year, making Westcon the largest Lucent voice distributor in the industry. Westcon also holds a global distribution agreement with Lucent covering the Enterprise Networks Group's CajunÔ Campus high-performance LAN switches and Lucent's WAN solutions.

Westcon has organised its divisions by vendor association in order to provide customers with the most qualified networking solutions available, and to best support the innovative products of its vendors. Voda One will have a Lucent Technologies focus; Westcon, a Nortel Networks focus; and Comstor, a Cisco Systems focus. All divisions will benefit from the Group's value-added approach to provide comprehensive professional services, pre-and post-sales support, training, and vertical market development.

This vendor oriented, convergence focused structure uniquely positions the Westcon Group as a leader in helping data and voice providers make the transition to the new model of a 'converged communications solution provider '.

"Westcon has been targeting an advantageous market position as the industry evolves toward a broader convergence, or communications, space," says Alan Marc Smith, vice president and chief operating officer of the Westcon Group. "Yet the products have only recently come to market to let us realize this goal. Our strategy solidifies Westcon's status as the first distributor with a true spectrum of convergence offerings, as the ongoing confluence of voice and data technologies are cultivated".

"Right now, sales of data and voice products are segmented. Voice and data providers exist in parallel. In the future, each will need the expertise to sell the other's products. The Westcon Group is positioning itself to provide that expertise in partnership with its customers, helping to make a divergent market a convergent market"

Historically, the Group has a successful record in defining market opportunities that are driven by emerging technologies. Says Roman Michalowski, president and chief executive officer of the Westcon Group: "As the market embraces convergence, new expertise is necessary in the channel in order to compete. We can deliver that knowledge in a way that confirms our original value proposition: using a select vendor focus to provide deep and specific expertise."

Says Edison Peres, Lucent Enterprise Networks Group Vice-President of Distribution Development and Management: "Westcon, Inacom Communications and CCA Technologies have proven to be excellent distribution resources for our reseller channel. We're pleased that the Westcon Group will now carry an expanded line of Lucent enterprise products. Our goal is to offer our customers a simplified way to obtain comprehensive voice, data and converged solutions. "

"Both telecommunications dealers and data solution providers need the dual-market savvy that the Westcon Group has just acquired," confirmed Paul Reitmeier, president of Inacom Communications. "Voda One can aggregate Lucent's voice and data components, provide integration services for Lucent communication and application servers, and ultimately bundle complete communications solutions to the channel."

Customers of both Inacom Communications and CCA Technologies stand to benefit significantly from Westcon's new stature.

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