Ipswitch has announced a new distribution agreement with Beijing Stone Electronic Technology Company of China, a value-added distributor of software solutions and tools.

"While many people think of China as an exporter, it has become an increasingly larger consumer of software, particularly for SMBs as the entrepreneurial spirit continues to take hold and grow," said Alessandro Porro, Sales Director of Ipswitch. "Chinese SMBs, like their counterparts across the globe, are looking for products that have been built with the needs of SMBs in mind, products that are easy to deploy, use and maintain and not stripped-down versions of enterprise software. Our partnership with Beijing Stone Electronic Technology Co., Ltd will provide us with the reach to deliver quality SMB products to the world's largest country and one of the fastest expanding markets for SMBs."

"We're excited to cooperate with Ipswitch to develop the market in China. Beijing Stone Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, as a value-added distributor, already provides China access to infrastructure solutions and IT lifecycle management solutions," said David Li, General Manager — TCS Department. "We hope to complement our entire product line and give our channel and customers more value. Ipswitch products are just what we need and we are confident we'll bring Ipswitch growth in China."

Established in 1999, Beijing Stone is a subsidiary of the Stone Group, the first IT company in China. In the past few years, Beijing Stone has developed a nationwide network of value-added resellers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Dalian and other cities and regions.