Brocade (NASDAQ:BRCD) and Arrow have penned a UK distributor deal, meaning Arrow will have access to the full Brocade IP networking solution portfolio.
John Mitchell, head of channel EMEA for Brocade says: “Brocade’s EMEA Channel organisation continues to build out our focus on extending our reach and amplifying the demand and relevance around our brand.”
Brocade and Arrow are already working together across in EMEA, including in Spain where a similar deal has also just been signed off. Mitchell says the on-boarding of Arrow UK is an extension of an existing and trusted relationship.
Arrow’s vendor portfolio already includes a high number of Brocade OEM relationships including EMC, NetApp and IBM that offer complimentary storage, virtualisation and server technologies.
The distie’s focuses on a highly virtualised datacentre infrastructure and cloud strategy fits for where Brocade sees the market moving, Mitchell says.
“Cloud computing is one area where our combined strengths will provide added value for partners that are looking to move from a vintage hardware resell model to a more progressive go-to-market strategy that includes managed or cloud services,” he says.
Research by Brocade shows that 92 percent of senior IT decision makers feel that their current infrastructure is not scalable enough to support next generation applications and so are seeking new data centre solutions to accommodate their needs.
David Ellis, director of strategy at Arrow ECS UK and Ireland says: “Our commitment to developing datacentre solutions that don’t just fix the issues of today, but also address customer challenges five years out, means Brocade IP solutions such as fabrics and SDN are a perfect fit for us and our customers.”
The two companies will build a demonstration suite in the UK to support channel sales and training for channel partners, so they can make the most of the partnership and focus on selling products customers are calling for.
Mitchell says the addition of Arrow to Brocade’s line-up will not affect its relationship with its three other distributors Avnet, Azlan and Zycko, which focus on selling Brocade’s Vyatta software-defined networking technology.
