The VAR Guy

Extreme Networks isn’t a networking giant. Instead, the company quietly focuses on four core vertical markets: Higher education, government, health care and hospitality. Think about that for a minute… At a time when everybody is concerned about an IT spending slowdown, three of Extreme’s four target markets are somewhat insulated from economic turbulence. That’s a pretty compelling message for partners seeking to maintain healthy revenue pipelines.

The VAR Guy spends ample time bashing a few Microsoft offerings (chiefly Windows Vista). But in this blog entry, he needs to tip his hat to the software giant. A small announcement between Microsoft and ShoreTel provides some big ideas for partners moving into the unified communications market. Here’s why.

What if you could buy a Cadillac for the price of a Chevy? That’s the basic approach to business at Adtran, which is gaining momentum as a low-cost/high-quality alternative to Cisco network solutions. Sure, The VAR Guy spends most of his networking energy blogging about Cisco. But Adtran has a bit of buzz in the market.