After building its business abroad for more than a decade, Mississauga, Ont.-based Amer Networks is looking to build its channel at home, having signed on with manufacturer’s rep firm Keating Technologies and distributor Tech Data Canada to build the business in Canada.

Wai Lee, president and CEO of Amer, said that when he launched the company in 1997, its target market was clearly in the United States, particularly in the SMB and education markets. And with Canadian support staff already in place, the next priority is building a channel network.

“I really want to do well here since it’s our home,” Lee said. “I don’t know what we were thinking in waiting so long, but now that we’re here, we want to do it big.”

While education was the big opportunity in the U.S., in Canada Lee said the company is targeting the SMB market with its full line of managed and unmanaged switches as well as wireless access points.

The company specializes in cloud-managed devices, making them attractive to VARs and MSPs interested in doing as much remote management of their customers’ networks as possible. It also uses a mesh network system as well, making it easier to swap in and swap out gear without having to reset or reaffirm credentials, and making self-provisioning and self-discovery for remote offices much easier.

So far, having participated in Tech Data’s coast-to-coast Business Builder tour this year, the company has signed on “a few VARs,” Lee said. But he’s still looking to add more partners who are looking for something new.

“I’m looking for resellers looking for something that has unique advantages over the regular brands out there right now,” he said. “I’m looking for a reseller that’s willing to be a little different and find different solutions for their customers.”

As it builds its channel community in Canada, the company is moving deals its discovering in-country out to its partners, and Canadian stock and support are already well in place.

“We want to make sure we can support the Canadian market fully,” Lee said. “We’re making sure everything’s in place to do full service for any dealer that needs it.”

The goal: a small but dedicated group of partner willing to and interested in working closely with the company.

“Amer wants to work with resellers that want to work with us,” Lee said. “I like that type of environment, where we’re dedicated to supporting them and they’re dedicated to supporting us. I think in that kind of environment, everyone becomes really successful.”

By the end of the year, the company plans to have a full partner portal built out, and Lee said the company is looking to design a full dealer program for different types of resellers in the near future.

For the rest of 2011 and the early part of 2012, the main focus is building the channel in Canada, but beyond that, Lee has additional worldwide expansion plans, including introducing its products in the Asia Pacific market and South America.