Extreme CEO On Being 'More Competitive Than We've Ever Been,' And Why NFL Stadium Networking Opportunities Are A Wide-Open Field For Partners

Extreme Networks CEO Ed Meyercord said there's never been a better time for partners to attack the enterprise market as the vendor is acquiring strategic networking assets from Zebra Technologies, Brocade Communications and Avaya.

"Extreme is more competitive now than we've ever been in more places in the network. So from the access edge, wired and wireless, all the way through the core of the network, then all the way into the large-scale data center, we are very, very competitive," said Meyercord in an interview with CRN at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

"We're the only player exclusively focused on networking. So if you're looking for an alternative for some of the big guys like Cisco, etc., you're going to find a great alternative with Extreme," he said.

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Extreme, the official network and analytics provider for the NFL, has acquired network assets from Avaya and Zebra in an effort to move up the enterprise networking food chain. The vendor is also slated to acquire Brocade Communications' data center business within the next few weeks.

"With Zebra we picked up great wireless technology, with Avaya their fabric technology, modular switching platforms with Brocade – the large-scale data center combined with our wireless, with our software, it creates a great opportunity for a partner to provide end-to-end wireless and wired software-driven network solutions for all enterprise customers," said Meyercord.

Meyercord also talked about the stadium market, which the company is investing in. Extreme has been enhancing its NFL relationship and increasing the number of professional football stadiums it supports.

Of the 32 NFL teams, 22 have chosen Extreme to provide the network. Extreme unveiled its newest customer in August -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Florida.

"If you’re a partner and you have a stadium opportunity that you're aware of, there's no better company to partner with than Extreme," said Meyercord.