Cabletron Systems Inc has put its money where its mouth is in its mission to try to attract 3Com Corp and Chipcom Corp customers while the two are busy concentrating on the former’s acquisition of the latter (CI No 2,716). Much as the company did while SynOptics Communications Inc and Wellfleet Communications Inc were merging into Bay Networks, Cabletron is offering discounts and other incentives to 3Com and Chipcom users who switch over to Cabletron kit. In total, Cabletron said it expects to spend $25m on the promotions. In terms of discounts, the company said it is offering up to 40% off to users trading in existing 3Com or Chipcom products. Accompanying this discount, these customers will qualify for a free 90-day trial and free on-site network needs analysis. Users buying its Spectrum for Open Systems network management system will also qualify for free modules for monitoring and controlling their installed base of Chipcom and 3Com products, said Cabletron. To try to promote the benefits of its products (and no doubt hoping that a free trip to the New Hampshire sea coast will appeal to overworked network managers), the company is offering to fly potential customers to its Rochester, New Hampshire headquarters, where it is promising to give them a glimpse of its next-generation switching and network management products, and the opportunity to put together their own test networks in its laboratories.
