One solution provider who requested anonymity said about 80 3Com partners have mounted an e-mail campaign protesting the changes to Tidd and 3Com President and CEO Bruce Claflin.
But not all solution providers bashed the vendor's efforts.
"I'm hoping that trimming down the number of Gold dealers will allow us to get even more bites of the apple and have more exposure within 3Com," said Glenn Conley, president and CEO of Metropark Communications, a Gold partner in St. Louis that retained its status. Under the old terms, the distinction between Gold and Silver partners was too small, Conley said.
Some partners also lauded the addition of a formal MDF program that partners can use to finance marketing efforts or to purchase 3Com's Express replacement services.
Tidd conceded that 3Com could have more effectively communicated the changes. The vendor tried to notify all Gold and Silver partners both through their channel account managers and via the letter, he said.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
