TLM Distribution recently launched the UniFi Live Lab, creating a dedicated environment where partners, system integrators, consultants and customers can experience Ubiquiti technologies in operation, test different configurations and work through deployment scenarios before taking them into the field.
The premise is simple. As UniFi deployments become broader and more complex, looking at a datasheet, watching a product video or seeing hardware on a showroom shelf can only go so far.
“There isn’t a single place where they’re unboxed and available for people to really experience,” says Manish Keshwani, Managing Director, TLM International. “Considering the sheer number of Ubiquiti users now in the region, and the number of complex integrations and use cases that have been done, we thought it was high time that we created a place where people can come in and do those experiments themselves.”
Interest is already coming from partners with specific deployments they want to test. The lab gives them space to work through how products interact, whether an architecture performs as expected and how a proposed solution could translate into an actual customer environment.
“As these projects get a lot more complex and require interesting integrations, we wanted to create a space where our partners, integrators and consultants could come in and feel free to make mistakes before they made a big deployment or commitment to an enterprise end user,” says Keshwani.
The opportunity becomes broader as Ubiquiti moves beyond its established networking base. Its portfolio now spans Wi-Fi, switching, surveillance, access control, sensors and other connected technologies, allowing partners to bring several parts of an environment together through the same platform.
“The remarkable thing is how all of it plays together on the same platform,” Keshwani says. “The aim of the lab is to let partners and customers experience that integration rather than simply hear about it.”
The facility also extends TLM’s existing training and certification programmes. Partners can arrive with a specific project or idea, work with TLM to design and test the solution and use what is learned to inform future deployments.
“We’re here to also help you design that solution, experiment with it, and pass that knowledge on to the next 20 people who may have thought of something like this,” says Keshwani.
Over time, TLM wants those experiences to form a growing bank of use cases and practical knowledge. Partners will be encouraged to share project experiences and ideas, turning the lab into more than a demonstration space.
Ubiquiti sees the initiative as an important part of its own regional growth. “The launch of the UniFi Live Lab by TLM Distribution represents an important milestone in strengthening the partnership between TLM and Ubiquiti and supporting our continued growth in the region. It enhances our local presence by providing partners, system integrators, and customers with a dedicated environment to experience the UniFi ecosystem firsthand and explore how our solutions can address real-world business requirements,” says Mohammed Nawid Masih, EMEA Pre-Sales at Ubiquiti.
He adds: “For Ubiquiti, the Live Lab is more than a demonstration facility, it is a strategic platform for market development and partner enablement. It will help us deepen engagement with our channel partners, increase technical awareness, accelerate solution adoption, and create new opportunities across networking, WiFi, security, and access control.”
The partnership also extends into ongoing training and enablement. “Ubiquiti Inc. USA offers licence-free networking solutions. ‘Rethinking IT’ as our tagline, we offer disruptive IT solutions that are enterprise, scalable and yet easy to use,” says Laxmikant Dandekar, Pre-Sales Engineer at Ubiquiti. “We work through our value-added partner, TLM, in order to create awareness about new innovations and technology. With periodic sales and product trainings, we empower the distributor resources to stay up to date.”
Masih adds the longer-term ambition is to use the facility to strengthen the wider partner ecosystem. “Together with TLM’s strong distribution capabilities and regional reach, the UniFi Live Lab will play an important role in building a stronger and more capable partner ecosystem,” he says. “Our goal is to use this initiative to accelerate Ubiquiti’s growth, expand our presence across key markets, and position UniFi as a leading technology platform for businesses seeking scalable, integrated, and high-performance networking and security solutions.”
The launch comes at a time when Ubiquiti is looking to extend its strength in the SMB market further into enterprise environments.
Keshwani sees significant potential in that transition. TLM has worked with the vendor for many years and, he says, has played a role in building its regional footprint.
“As they make their big push into enterprise, which is a space where there are a lot of big names already, we want to make sure that we’re able to do that again,” he says.
The launch of the Lab also reflects TLM’s own evolution as a player in the regional tech industry. “TLM was founded almost 30 years ago, and we’ve evolved a lot since then,” says Keshwani. “What we’re known for today is our competency on growth. The brands we work with don’t support us just because we can move inventory. It’s because what we’ve done is empower growth for the brands we work with and the partners we work with.”
That evolution has accelerated over the past five years. Rather than simply shipping products from the UAE into neighbouring markets, TLM has expanded its regional presence through offices, warehouses and resources on the ground across the Middle East and Central Asia.
The Live Lab becomes another part of that shift, moving the distributor further towards technical enablement, solution development and partner support.
Keshwani ultimately wants the facility to develop into a community rather than remain a physical lab. “We really want to hear your stories, understand your projects and find a way to help you win,” he says.
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