By Craig Zammit

SYDNEY: Linksys announced this morning it has commenced selling its range of voice, wireless and networking hardware through more than 150 Harvey Norman stores across Australia.

Recognised as a global leader in wireless, VoIP and Ethernet networking for consumers, small office/home office (SOHO) and small business users, Linksys will look to further build its name and increase its customer base through the partnership with Harvey Norman.

“This agreement marks another major milestone for Linksys’ expansion into the retail channel,” said Linksys regional director for Australia and New Zealand, Graeme Reardon.

“Having a presence at Harvey Norman will allow Linksys to reach a wider customer base and meet the growing demand for quality networking solutions.”

A large range of Linksys products are available now through Harvey Nomran including wireless-G broadband routers and wireless-G ADSL gateway products.

“2006 will be a landmark year for wireless and wired networking equipment as broadband adoption in Australia continues to grow.  This will accelerate the demand for Linksys products among consumers and small businesses,” Reardon said.

Figures recently released by the ACCC support this claim with a 98 per cent increase in broadband services seen across Australia in 2005.

Harvey Norman chief operating officer, John Slack-Smith, is currently attending an important all-day meeting with upper management today and was unavailable for comment.