SMC Networks: New Brand, New Switches

Those of us who have been in the channel long enough are well familiar with SMC Networks, the company that found equally successful niches in the service provider, enterprise and small-business space. So much so that SMC decided to spin off its SMB/enterprise offerings into a company of its own, which it then branded Edgecore Networks. Here’s what’s next.

Edgecore (to be located at www.edgecorenetworks.com) debuts this week at Interop, and with new hardware to boot. The company will introduce two additions to its TigerSwitch line of PoE-enabled managed Layer 2 switches, one a managed Fast Ethernet switch and the other a managed Gigabit switch.

The company itself is very highly focused on the channel, as was (and is) its former self, SMC. In fact, the decision to spin off into Edgecore Networks was spurred largely by confusion created within the channel ranks by the company’s Service Provider Group and its Business Solution Group, according to the company.

“This decision was completely driven with the needs of our channel, our technology partners and installed corporate user base in mind where focus dictates simplicity in our brand strategy,” said SMC Vice President of Sales Keith Alexis when the spin-off was announced earlier this month. Alexis now holds the title of general manager of Edgecore Networks.

Those in North America may not be familiar with the name, but Edgecore actually has been around for the past four years in Brazil, Russia, India, China, Africa and parts of Asia. Edgecore was SMC’s means to infiltrate those markets with higher-end networking solutions including metro Ethernet, Wi-Max, performance switching and edge switching, according to the company. Edgecore won’t be offering Wi-Max in North America, but the company does expect to offer a new wireless enterprise solution in the second quarter of 2010.

Meanwhile, the existing technology offered by SMC in the enterprise and small-business space will continue to be available.
Let’s hope SMC’s answer to the confusion in the channel won’t lead to more confusion in the channel. And let’s hope the strongest points of SMC’s channel program will be the strongest points of Edgecore Network’s channel program as well.

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