New Shoes

We have had an exciting, game-changing event at Cross Telecom: I am  pleased to  advise that on May 2, 2011,  Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) acquired Cross Telecom Corporation (Cross).  A copy of the official press release can be found at www.crosstelecom.com . The impact of this event on our program to develop a GSA Schedule has not been determined.  I will update the blog as we learn more.

Arrow Electronics (www.arrow.com) serves as a supply channel partner for over 1,200 suppliers and 115,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of more than 340 locations in 52 countries. Arrow is headquartered in Melville, N.Y.

We are truly excited about this acquisition because Cross offerings complement the unified communications, telephony, and managed services that Arrow offers through its Shared Technologies business - a recognized total-solutions provider and supplier of converged and Internet-protocol telephony technologies. Together, Cross and Shared Technologies will provide an enhanced world-class offering of unified communications services to best serve your needs and the value we will be able to bring to the market will be truly amazing.

Together, Cross and Shared Technologies support in excess of 10,000 Avaya and Nortel customers nationwide with over 9 million ports at 76,000 unique customer locations under current maintenance support contracts.  We support these customers through the combined efforts of 1,500 committed employees of which nearly 90% are in direct, customer facing roles.  We now have the most comprehensive technician coverage map in our industry with over 800 directly employed technicians located in 45 of the 48 contiguous United States.  In addition to this unrivaled local support footprint, we continue our legacy of making communications technology the best it can be through unmatched technical expertise and depth.   Indeed, Cross and Shared Technologies together possess in excess of 4,500 Avaya/Nortel professional certifications. Further, we maintain the highest Avaya Business Partner status possible, not only in our earning the distinction of being Avaya’s only Business Partner globally to have achieved Integration Expert status, but in maintaining our current Platinum Business Partner, Platinum DevConnect Partner, Services Expert, and Services Business Partner of the Year distinctions.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will provide updates about our progress. Please know that our focus remains on serving our customers, and our commitment to excellence is unwavering.