Distributor Zycko is reaching out to disenchanted Cisco resellers with a trade-in programme on behalf of Chinese switch vendor Huawei.

The initiative comes just a month after Huawei ended its alliance with Siemens, leaving Zycko as its sole UK distributor.

Aimed primarily at end users upgrading to Gigabit Ethernet, the programme enables VARs to trade in Cisco kit against purchases of new Huawei datacoms equipment.

David Galton-Fenzi, group sales director at Zycko, said: “Huawei has a very competitive technology and price-per-port ratio, but is relying on the mindshare of integrators to convince end users of this. This programme gives integrators a reason to take Huawei to their customers.”

Top of Zycko’s wish list are integrators with extensive customer lists, but “who are not making money” with Cisco, according to Galton-Fenzi.

He claimed Huawei switches are 40 per cent the price of Cisco, but boast superior performance per port.

Andy Stevens, director at VAR Nouveau Solutions, which until last month bought its Huawei equipment from Siemens, said: “Huawei has previously muddled along in the channel, but now it seems that it means business and is rolling up its sleeves.”

However, Tom Kelly, UK managing director at Cisco Gold partner Logicalis, said: “It would have to be something pretty spectacular to woo us away from Cisco. We’re not interested in short-term gains and what Huawei is doing is no more than that.”