Westcon Group Becomes First VAD to Achieve Microsoft Gold Communications Competency

Westcon Group (News - Alert) recently became the first value-added distributor (VAD) in the world to achieve Microsoft's Partner Network Gold Communications competency. The company achieved this designation based on its rigorous standards for revenue, service support and customer satisfaction in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

As such, Westcon was able to demonstrate that it has met the strict technology and customer satisfaction requirements set by Microsoft (News - Alert) in providing Microsoft Lync-based solutions to customers.

According to Scott Brown, senior director of Worldwide Lync Enterprise Voice at Microsoft, being the first global VAD to achieve this certification means Westcon has clearly demonstrated its value.

"Being the first VAD worldwide to achieve Gold Communications certification is a tremendous achievement for our EMEA business — and testament to Westcon's commitment to Microsoft and its Lync solutions," said Guy Koster, director of the Microsoft Lync Business Practice EMEA at Westcon Convergence (News - Alert), in a statement.

"Microsoft's most recent earnings report showed its Lync business growing at 35 percent. We look forward to capitalizing on this momentum with our customers, our Lync eco-system vendors, and Microsoft to fully exploit resulting opportunities utilizing our powerful 'Simplification, Orchestration, Acceleration' messaging and partner enablement programs."

Westcon is a VAD of unified communications, network infrastructure, data center and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers. The company also boasts one of the broadest Lync ecosystems currently in distribution, including products from Active Communications, Acme Packet, Advatel, Altigen, AudioCodes, Jabra, Plantronics (News - Alert), Polycom, snom and Sonus.

Earlier in February, Westcon Group named Chris Ranger its vice president of Services for EMEA. Formerly of Intermec (News - Alert) Technologies, Ranger brings more than 25 years of experience in executive service leadership in a number of high-technology industries to Westcon.

Back in March 2012, the company's president and CEO Dean Douglas was named to the Computer Reseller News 30th Anniversary list, which recognizes a group of seasoned executives that have worked in the IT industry for 30 years and contributed to the success and growth of the channel.