Avnet to distribute Brocade

For the Tapestry products, Avnet Technology Solutions is planning to recruit – primarily – network and software partners wishing to offer futureproof solutions for SAN-based server provisioning and mobility, for the centralization of file systems and for automatic data migration. At the same time, with the entry-level switches in the Brocade SilkWorm range, Avnet is supporting software companies and system integrators who are targeting small and midsize enterprises as first-time customers for storage area networking. Distribution of the Brocade products through resellers is being integrated into the Avnet Partner Solutions Division and is now ready to commence in a total of ten European countries. With this expanded partnership, Avnet Technology Solutions is supplementing its long-established business among large Brocade OEMs, such as IBM, HP and Sun, with the additional sales and marketing of Brocade-branded products and services via both new and existing partners from the 'traditional' IT sales and distribution channel. As Janos Kurel, Avnet Technology Solutions' European Vice President with responsibility for the Partner Solutions Division, explains: 'The SAN switches and directors in the SilkWorm range are market leaders in global terms. For Brocade, they represent an OEM business from which we have been benefiting for years as a partner of these OEMs. With the Tapestry products, Brocade has now launched itself on a market which can be developed particularly well by way of the value added reseller (VAR) channel. And since we are already very familiar with the Brocade product portfolio and have both a strong presence and a powerful partner base throughout Europe, we were an ideal distribution partner from Brocade's point of view.' In addition, there is a growing demand among small and midsize enterprises for intelligent infrastructure solutions for storage and resource management. That, in turn, calls for value added distributors who are in a position to offer software firms and system integrators – the 'interfaces' to the SMEs – economical entry-level solutions, for example on the basis of the smaller SilkWorm switches. As an Distribution Partner, Avnet Technology Solutions receives from Brocade wide-ranging support for its efforts to promote IT infrastructure business via the reseller channel. For instance, Brocade helps Avnet identify new projects and recruit suitable partners on a joint basis, and also passes on the know-how which has been acquired. Avnet Technology Solutions will be holding initial reseller training courses throughout Europe, with the support of Brocade and backed up by the specific sales and marketing initiatives with the Avnet reseller community. Distribution of the Brocade products and services will be undertaken by the personnel of the Avnet Partner Solutions Division, who already have many years' experience of Avnet business with Brocade OEMs IBM, HP and Sun. Timm Hoyt, Brocade's Sales Manager EMEA & Latin America, sums up the joint prospects in the following terms: ' This agreement strengthens the business we already do together with Avnet via our OEM community, as well as provides incremental opportunities for the Avnet reseller community to benefit from selling our complete package of industry leading data connectivity and management solutions and services for their customers. We expect the powerful Avnet presence in the high-growth markets of eastern Europe to help us meet the needs of these key customers. At the same time, there is immense potential in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom which we will be seeking to enhance with the aid of the Avnet reseller network.' Avnet Technology Solutions markets the corporate and embedded systems of leading international computer producers and software providers. As a global sales and marketing organization, Avnet Technology Solutions has a local presence in 36 countries, with different marketing units for specific customer segments. These clients include value added resellers (VARs), system vendors, system integrators and OEMs. Avnet Technology Solutions is a division of Avnet Inc. and posts annual sales in excess of $ 4,99 billion. Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT) is one of the largest international distributors of electronic components and computer products and a leader in the field of technology marketing and services with annual sales revenues in the amount of $ 14,25 billion.