Digital Connect reports that Cisco Systems' Linksys division is committed to chasing down the home and SOHO market with the help of digital integrators, says Michael Pocock, the new senior vice president and general manager of the division.
"I�ve been a big fan and very passionate about the notion that the home market had to be integrated, that there is an opportunity to take advantage of all the various converging products: voice over IP with multimedia, with networking needing to go into the mass market," Pocock says. "I think Linksys is in a perfect position to take advantage of that. When you look at what vendors would be positioned to pull all of those various pieces together and be able to penetrate not only the home market but also SMB, in my opinion, there wasn�t anybody better suited in the industry than Linksys."
While Linksys has traditionally focused its sales of home products through retail stores, Pocock says the sophistication of new connected home solutions requires the help of skilled digital integrators. Pocock says one of his jobs at Linksys will be facilitating the interaction of integrators and retail chains to target the home.
"Whereas a lot of retailers want to reach the home networking market as well, they�re going to have to, in my opinion, partner with local VARs to be able to deliver the total solution," Pocock says. "I think we�re going to have to facilitate an alliance or facilitate retailers hooking up with local VARs to be able to deliver the total solution. I think retailers are great in terms of providing product selection and some of the services, but to install an integrated solution for the home requires, I think, a little more expertise."
"I�ve been a big fan and very passionate about the notion that the home market had to be integrated, that there is an opportunity to take advantage of all the various converging products: voice over IP with multimedia, with networking needing to go into the mass market," Pocock says. "I think Linksys is in a perfect position to take advantage of that. When you look at what vendors would be positioned to pull all of those various pieces together and be able to penetrate not only the home market but also SMB, in my opinion, there wasn�t anybody better suited in the industry than Linksys."
While Linksys has traditionally focused its sales of home products through retail stores, Pocock says the sophistication of new connected home solutions requires the help of skilled digital integrators. Pocock says one of his jobs at Linksys will be facilitating the interaction of integrators and retail chains to target the home.
"Whereas a lot of retailers want to reach the home networking market as well, they�re going to have to, in my opinion, partner with local VARs to be able to deliver the total solution," Pocock says. "I think we�re going to have to facilitate an alliance or facilitate retailers hooking up with local VARs to be able to deliver the total solution. I think retailers are great in terms of providing product selection and some of the services, but to install an integrated solution for the home requires, I think, a little more expertise."