Scale’s new HEAT technology brings flash into hybrid tiering, with all the performance benefits of using flash for a tier rather than just a cache. The challenge here was not introducing flash, but doing so in a way that would not increase complexity, and would be cost-effective for SMBs.
Dell also announced an expansion of their open source networking initiatives, as well as two new in-rack systems for the data centre.
Stratoscale, which emphasizes its ability to deliver cloud economics to the data centre – rather than the hyperconverged nature of its technology – also made the formal announcement of its PartnerFirst Program for its channel, which is its sole route to market.
The move up from Version 4.2 includes the adoption of Azure Active Directory as the authentication of record, a new interface, Cloud Workspace Suite’s first app services, resource scheduling, server scaling and automatic server cloning.
Viptela, whose SD-WAN platform is differentiated by a centrally controlled overlay network that simplifies policy changes, cuts costs, and provides more flexible access to cloud connections, expands its go-to-market by being integrated in the SevOne platform. They also indicated that more such partnerships are coming.
At an event Wednesday, Avaya strongly urged its partners to look closely at their networking fabric and the middleware which enables its automation, saying that it provides a clear path to smart computing and a strong differentiator from competitors.
Ex-Rackspace channel chief Chris Rajiah also indicated that following a broad recruitment effort last year, which included mainly agents and referral partners, Equinix is focusing on adding key resellers this year, especially top Microsoft partners.
Azure is the first Microsoft solution to be available as a preview from Microsoft datacenters in Toronto and Quebec City. General availability is scheduled for Q2, with Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online to follow shortly after that.
The new appliance, built on the ProLiant DL 380, brings a new interface to HPE hyper-converged products, which the company says is extremely user-friendly and easy to use.
At a customer event in Toronto on Wednesday, NetApp CEO George Kurian laid out the company’s case to key customers and partners why the storage pioneer is well positioned for the new age of IT.
Juniper becomes Lenovo’s strategic networking partner, to build out new data centre solutions and strengthen Lenovo’s growing hyper-converged and converged presence. Lenovo also says the deal will have a strong channel play, and won’t be limited to Lenovo’s highest-end partners.
Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on why the company needs to connect the dots better, what his channel background brings to the CEO spot, and new partners.
With Hyperflex, Cisco says it is aiming to plug some holes in current hyperconverged offerings, extend the territory of its UCS converged infrastructure line.
Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins tells partners the company and its partners will have to move faster than ever, announces new cloud strategy and hyperconverged offering.
Mellanox thinks the Nutanix partnership can let Mellanox do for networking what Nutanix has already done for storage and compute – make it invisible. They also think it can grow their Ethernet switch business from the single digits to the neighborhood of their market leadership in Ethernet adapters.
IBM will turn to distributors to help it build custom bundles of its Power-based servers with Linux and top ISV offerings for the channel.
Nutanix’s 4.6 software release enables key features to its platform announced last summer, as part of their longer-run strategy to be an Amazon-like infrastructure for the enterprise cloud.
Both Powered by Avaya IP Office and OnAvaya – Google Cloud Platform have already been available to customers through the channel. Now however, their availability has been opened up to more partners, and both solutions have also been enhanced from their initial versions.
The new Dell networking OS is initially aimed only at large data centres, with the current campus OS6 and data centre OS9 continuing, but longer term, OS 10 will become the core system for all of Dell networking.
Dell is sending a message to its Canadian partners and customers that it intends to double down on innovation notwithstanding its growing even larger with the pending acquisition of EMC.
