Early in its history, Comlink was only a cabling company. "We would terminate cable and subcontract to companies like IBM, Digital Equipment Corp. and Data General," says Oliver, "and they would come in and put in the terminal servers and hubs." The company then recognized that it had an opportunity to provide total network solutions and began to offer network integration services.
In 1985, Comlink comprised three companies: Executone, Comlink Data Cabling and Telemarketing Resource Center, all of which, according to Oliver, still exist.
Executone has grown into Comlink`s telecommunications division. It sells voice-processing products from Executone Information Systems, Fujitsu and Northern Telecom, and such Nynex services as integrated services digital network, Centrex and Digital Data Services. The data cabling company has grown into a network systems integrator division that also installs equipment for managing LANs and WANs. The Telemarketing Resource Center provides internal direct marketing support to the company.
Currently, Comlink has approximately 120 employees in a 40,000-square-foot facility in Marlborough, MA. According to Oliver, the company is forecasting sales of more than $21 million in 1995 from its overall business of designing, installing and supporting enterprise-wide voice and data networks.
"Cabling is fundamental in everything we do," explains Oliver. "It gets us in the door. But then the customer wants to know about those hubs we sell or about the phone system. We touch everything the wire connects. Wherever the wire stops--at some piece of equipment--we sell that piece of equipment too, and then we let the customer take it from there. Because we don`t represent one product or one manufacturer, we can bring many solutions to the table."
Comlink also maintains strategic partnerships with such companies as AMP, AT&T, Chipcom, Cisco, Micom, Newbridge and 3Com. It installs, services and supports high-performance cable systems; network hardware such as bridges, routers, hubs, wireless devices and multiplexers for local area networks; wide area network products such as multiplexers, data service units and modems; and voice systems, including key, hybrid and private branch exchange telephone systems, voice mail and other voice-processing equipment. q