News

Westcon Group Marks 25 Years of Excellence in Specialty Distribution

Strong Worldwide Presence, Loyal Partner Relationships, and Consultative Sales Approach Continue to Drive Success for Westcon's Global Business

Tarrytown, NY, June 24, 2010 - This month, Westcon Group, Inc., the leading specialty distributor in networking, convergence, security and mobility, marks its 25th anniversary as an innovator in specialty distribution. The company, which had its early origins in a two-car garage 20 miles north of New York City, began as a distributor of specialized equipment for LAN (Local Area Network) technology in 1985 and has since grown to become a $3 billion company employing 1,600 people worldwide.

During its first two decades in business, Westcon Group quickly gained economies of scale by expanding its distribution coverage across the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Australia. Each market entrance presented new opportunities as the company broadened customer and vendor relationships, while deepening its expertise in core technology areas. Expansion also introduced daunting challenges, such as adapting to local cultures and assimilating a diverse group of international employees into a cohesive organization. Today, the company represents over 200 vendors worldwide, and has operations in 35 countries across six continents.

Tom Dolan, chairman of the board, Westcon Group, Inc., reflected on Westcon's growth and expansion in North America, as well as early challenges that faced the company during its formative years: "We started the business as New Yorkers, and as we grew domestically, we had to continually adapt to local business practices. As we expanded overseas, it became even more exciting to see our original sales philosophy of first understanding the local culture, and then adapting the business model, resonate in all of the different geographies. This philosophy, which has earned us thousands of loyal partners all around the world, was all about understanding our customers' businesses, and helping them become more successful."

Over the past 25 years, Westcon Group has helped its customers become more profitable by providing:

• Access to a technologically-focused line card of best-in-class vendors
• Industry renowned pre-and post-sales support
• World-class global logistics and cross-border capabilities
• Flexible financing for customers
• Proactive and effective sales enablement training
• A 'trusted advisor' consultative sales approach

"As the channel looks forward to yet another chapter in the evolution of IT, our company remains firmly rooted on a single principle we have embraced since the very beginning: making our customers more successful," observed Dean Douglas, president and CEO of Westcon Group. "We have two key customer constituencies – the reseller channel and the manufacturers and software developers we represent. The combination of listening to our customers and being able to anticipate their needs before the onset of technology cycles has resulted in remarkable success for our reseller partners, the companies we represent, and Westcon Group."

"As our customers relentlessly pursue IT solutions that make global business more efficient, secure and profitable, Westcon Group will continue providing the best of breed products and innovative distribution services that the market has come to expect from us well into the coming decades," he continued.

QUOTES FROM VENDOR PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS

Edison Peres, senior vice president, Worldwide Partner Organization, Cisco
"Value, results, global-minded, growth-oriented, responsive....just a few of the key attributes that I have come to truly appreciate during our long and rewarding relationship. Congratulations to Westcon on 25 years!"

Jeremy Butt, vice president, worldwide channels, Avaya
"Over the many years I have worked with Westcon, I have appreciated their consistency, creativity, and unwavering integrity. This is a company that has never hesitated to embrace new ideas, while molding every opportunity into a win-win for their partners and vendors. It has also been a great pleasure to work with many individuals at Westcon, located in different parts of the world, and whilst they never shy away from tough conversations, they have always been reasonable. I fully expect Westcon to continue to grow and expand, and personally look forward to working with them in the years to come."

Jim Harold, vice president, worldwide channel sales, Blue Coat Systems
"In the many years Blue Coat has been working with Westcon, we have experienced an unparalleled degree of personal dedication and competency. Westcon not only understands the security market, but also has taken the time to understand our own business. This has had the direct effect of making us more competitive in local markets and has also increased our ability to compete in world markets. We would like to congratulate Westcon on an impressive 25 years!"

Al Siders, president and CEO, Network Data Systems
"We have worked with Westcon Group and Comstor for about ten years. During that time we have found their service to be the best in the industry. They have accommodated large transactions that surpassed our credit limit many times over the years, and they have been creative in meeting our needs in many other ways as well. Finally, Westcon and Comstor have consistently added value by helping us become a better company in ways that were not always directly linked to networking purchases we make. They have truly been a valued partner with us not just a supplier."

Rob Nixon, VP Operations, Sunturn
"Westcon has been a strategic partner for Sunturn during the past decade as we've grown into one of the premier partners in the western United States. They have provided the consistency, reliability and value added services our organization has needed, helping us meet any challenge. Not only have they been our primary distribution arm, but they've provided sound support in logistics, marketing, and strategic planning. Westcon has been a true extension of our team and we look forward to growing our relationship in the future."

Paul Chandler, President, Charter Telecom
"Charter has had significant and sustained growth for the past 14 years. In part, our success can be directly attributed to the relationship we have had with Westcon. This relationship transcends the traditional customer/supplier model, making it a true partnership."

About Westcon Group
Westcon Group, Inc. is the leading specialty distributor in networking, security, mobility and convergence for leading technology vendors, including Cisco, Avaya, Polycom and Blue Coat Systems. Through its Comstor, Westcon Convergence, and Westcon Security business practices, Westcon Group sells products and services to resellers, systems integrators and service providers. Westcon Group has particular expertise in the convergence of voice, data and video applications and technologies, including voice-over Internet protocol, or VoIP, security for networking and communications systems, remote access, Internet and e-business, virtual private networks, videoconferencing and wireless connectivity. For more information, visit www.westcongroup.com.

Contact:
Jeffrey Touzeau
Hummingbird Media, Inc.
Tel:(914) 602-2913
jeff@hummingbirdmedia.com