VMware

Virtualization

Dell continues VDI appliance push with VMware EVO:RAIL Horizon Edition appliance

May 22, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Dell continues VDI appliance push with VMware EVO:RAIL Horizon Edition appliance
Dell becomes the first vendor to offer a hyper-converged end-to-end VDI appliance for EVO:RAIL, which becomes its fifth different VDI appliance in five months, as the company intensifies its emphasis on the space

Channel Programs

Reborn NexGen looks to make a splash with revamped partner program

May 21, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Reborn NexGen looks to make a splash with revamped partner program
Newly spun-off this year, NexGen has made major changes to its channel program to strengthen its support of partners.

Channel Programs

New EMC Federation deal reg, rules of engagement to be launched

May 5, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on New EMC Federation deal reg, rules of engagement to be launched
EMC is also announcing several other programmatic moves, including a Federation Ready designation and expanding EMC’s EMC Ready sales transformation initiative to partners. Their EMC True loyalty program pilot is now being publicized and expanded globally.

Data Centre

Why heresy is good business strategy: Dell’s Armughan Ahmad

April 10, 2015 Mark Cox 1
Digital disruption is intensifying IT democratization, and Dell is responding with a datacentre strategy which some competitors likely consider heresy, but which Dell believes is the wave of the future.

Servers

SanDisk enhances solid state caching software, unveils new bundles

March 31, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on SanDisk enhances solid state caching software, unveils new bundles
Nine separate bundles across the Windows, VMware and Linux platforms give SanDisk a broad range of “device+software” solutions for server-side solid-state caching.

Big Data

EMC Federation Business Data Lake to be strong play for top partners

March 23, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on EMC Federation Business Data Lake to be strong play for top partners
The Federation Business Data Lake greatly expands EMC’s converged Big Data offerings, and while only EMC’s more sophisticated partners will likely be able to sell it, it will be available to them.

Virtualization

3D apps, desktop Linux support among VMware Horizon 6 innovations

March 13, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on 3D apps, desktop Linux support among VMware Horizon 6 innovations
VMware still trails Citrix in the virtual desktop space, and is trying to make up ground by emphasizing some of the new and enhanced features that are unique to Horizon 6.

Cloud

Intronis slashes image-based recovery times with Winter 2015 release

March 6, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Intronis slashes image-based recovery times with Winter 2015 release
The improved functionality will help Intronis partners have discussions with customers about providing higher-value recovery strategies rather than simply selling storage.

Mobility

Citrix is a security company: Citrix Canada’s Michael Murphy

February 25, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Citrix is a security company: Citrix Canada’s Michael Murphy
In a wide-ranging discussion of where Citrix is headed in the Canadian market, their country manager also identifies key issues with competition, mobility, storage, and the impact of recent announced changes to the partner program.

Steve Kaplan, vice president of channel and strategic sales at Nutanix.
Data Centre

Nutanix adds Canadian channel sales director

February 19, 2015 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Nutanix adds Canadian channel sales director
Frank Czyz, new Canadian channel chief at Nutanix, looks to replicate the hyperconverged vendor’s U.S. success in getting closer to top partners.