IBM has authorized two distributors, Ingram Micro and Tech Data, to sell its Power Systems and enterprise storage products.
The move comes as IBM focuses its efforts on the growing needs of midrange customers. The company estimates the opportunity to be $160 billion in North America along.
IBM’s Power Systems line ranges from the entry-level BladeCenter, Power Express and PowerLinux servers to the enterprise-level systems 770, 780 and 795
Ingram Micro and Tech Data join Avnet and Arrow as companies anointed by Big Blue as distributors to mid-range customers.
“With this announcement, all four distribution partners – Arrow Electronics, Avnet Technology Solutions, Ingram Micro and Tech Data – will be able to drive the sale of IBM integrated products, including System x, PureSystems and FlexSystems, Power Systems, System Storage, IBM Software, Global Services and Global Financing – and expands our distribution support and capacity across our IBM Business Partner community,” IBM vice president of North America business partners and midmarket sales Bill Donohue said in a company blog post.
Donahue said the midrange market is the fastest growing market in North America. For that reason, IBM is interested in forming relationships with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), managed service providers and cloud service providers.
“IBM clients will have greater access to the breadth of IBM products and integrated solutions, including Smarter Planet solutions, through a larger group of resellers who are trained and skilled to sell to the midsize customer segment,” Donahue said.
IBM’s new partners are also enthusiastic about the deal.
"Ingram Micro offers IBM Business Partners enablement resources, technical expertise and field sales support that is unrivaled and we remain committed to giving our channel partners that competitive edge that really works to differentiate their services and value," Scott Zahl, vice president and general manager of the advanced computing division for Ingram Micro, said.
“The relationship between Tech Data and IBM is an incredible opportunity for our solution providers to grow their compute and storage practices, while expanding their markets," Chuck Bartlett, vice president and general manager of AIS Division at Tech Data, said. "Through this relationship, Tech Data now offers a full range of IBM services and solutions to our resellers. The addition of IBM's Power Systems and enterprise-class storage solutions to our AIS offering represents dynamic services and superior economics to help improve business efficiency, while enabling our resellers to meet the rapidly growing demands of big data for their end-user customers."
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
