ADTRAN Expands Reach to SMB VARs Through Value-Added Distribution Program

Program Designed to Grow Partner Base and Increase Availability of NetVanta Products

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—(December 8, 2008)—ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN), a leading supplier of next-generation network solutions, today announced that it is expanding its reach to resellers targeting Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) through a new program. Under this Value–Added Distribution (VAD) program, specialty distributors will be aligned with resellers to deliver fully-supported solutions to their end-user customers. This is especially beneficial to smaller resellers who have a demand for ADTRAN NetVanta products due to their ease of use and attractive price point, but who do not have the infrastructure necessary to support them or the specialization required for select platforms. This program will provide ADTRAN with a means to engage the majority of the US reseller market and will provide VAD-supported resellers with an attractive means to compete.

“Value-Added Distribution enables resellers to leverage the service, support, certifications and logistics capability of a specialty distributor without incurring additional operating expense,” said Bob Meador, director enterprise distribution channels, ADTRAN Enterprise Networks Division. “This allows the specialty distributor to bring added value by enabling the reseller to provide total solutions to their end user customer.”

As another facet of the program, ADTRAN will work with VADs to create best-in-breed product bundles. These bundles will combine ADTRAN products with those of other leading manufacturers. This will provide resellers with a number of turnkey solutions for a variety of technology areas, eliminating the need for extensive research by the reseller and adding the benefit of support from their VAD.

“This program is indicative of ADTRAN’s creative and innovative thinking as they continually work to strengthen their reach to a broader base of resellers,” said Annette Taber, executive vice president, sales & marketing, Interlink Communication Systems. “We are excited to be the first partner in the program and see it as a great opportunity to bring added value to our resellers and meet the growing demand for ADTRAN’s NetVanta products.”

This program offers a number of benefits to select participants. It allows distributors in the program to create a value differentiator between themselves and their competition through the delivery and support of total solutions. It enables both the distributor and the reseller to sell more products and create additional opportunities to generate recurring revenue from services. The end-user customer also wins by having a greater opportunity to access ADTRAN products and associated services through a broader base of resellers.

“Value-Added Distribution will allow resellers, many of whom do not have the support staff or the means to invest in specialization during these tough economic times, to have the ability to offer a broader range of ADTRAN’s value-driven solutions to their customers,” said Ted Cole, vice president of channel sales, ADTRAN Enterprise Networks Division. “This program enhances the role of the distributor as the solution expert, making it a trusted advisor to the reseller and provides the reseller with a broader product portfolio to offer its customers, thus increasing the opportunity for everyone involved to experience greater success.”

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About ADTRAN
ADTRAN, Inc., is a leading global provider of networking and communications equipment, with a portfolio of more than 1,700 solutions for use in the last mile of today’s telecommunications networks. Widely deployed by carriers and enterprises alike, ADTRAN solutions enable voice, data, video, and Internet communications across copper, fiber, and wireless network infrastructures. ADTRAN solutions are currently in use by every major U.S. service provider and many global ones, as well as by thousands of public, private and governmental organizations worldwide.

For more information, contact the company at 800 9ADTRAN (800 923-8726) or via email at info@adtran.com. On the Web, visit www.adtran.com.

About Interlink Communication Systems
Interlink Communication Systems, founded in 1990, is an internetworking, wireless and VoIP-focused specialty distribution company representing select manufacturers to an international network of Value Added Resellers, System Integrators and Network Service Providers. Interlink’s areas of expertise include IP telephony, wire-line, fiber optic and wireless Local Area and Wide Area Networking (LAN/WAN), and access aggregation and optimization. Interlink has been ranked among the Tampa Bay Technology Fast 50, INC. 500, and more recently, received mention on the VAR Business 2006 List of Distributors to Watch. Visit Interlink at http://www.interlinkweb.com.

Contact:
Tammie Dodson
ADTRAN
256-963-6739
tammie.dodson@adtran.com

This release was published on openPR.