Resellers of networking equipment are regularly wooed by vendors, with anniversary trips to exotic locations, sumptuous meals, enough booze to float a battleship and even louche entertainment to put them in the mood.

But what, in a world where fewer resellers than ever now nail their colours to a single vendor's mast, do these favours actually buy?

Most UK resellers deliberately court a range of different suppliers and manufacturers so that they can offer enterprise customers a choice of architectural systems and solutions. As long as those vendors stick to open standards and build equipment that can be mixed and matched with other vendors' gear on the same network, no problem.

Cisco has been criticised in the past for using its market dominance to pressure its partners into monogamous relationships and frowning on liaisons with other vendors. The upshot of such practices for enterprise customers is often vendor lock-in; and an infrastructure built on proprietary kit that isn't too good at rubbing along with other brands. And this means any decision to upgrade or expand the network is not a simple one.

Thankfully, most resellers do like to play the vendor field. And for business customers, the competition that ensues is more likely to produce a healthier equipment solution, usually at a better price.

This, combined with the fact that the channel is by far the best way to get a product to market, is the reason that vendors are happy to invest time, effort and money in fostering close relationships with resellers.

Whatever the gains on either side of the channel partnership bed may be, there is no sign that the oil used to lubricate channel deals will dry up any day soon.
As long as the fruits of those unions fall to end users in the form of more choice, competition that leads to keener prices, and better support and maintenance, long may the intercourse continue.