DataCore Software, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based storage virtualization SAN software solution provider, is working with Citrix XenDesktop, an application delivery infrastructure, to open up new market opportunities in the North American SMB space.
At the Citrix App Delivery Expo in Las Vegas last week, DataCore announced its virtual SAN solutions will be capable of supporting Citrix XenDesktop, to help make Windows desktop delivery from datacenters easier and faster.
George Teixeira, CEO and president at DataCore, explains the company’s main objective is to be able to offer an end to end total enterprise virtualization solution to its partners and end-users.
“We’ve always partnered with VARs who either sell Citrix or VMware products because they sell virtual desktops and servers and we’re selling virtualization solutions,” Teixeira said.
With the recent announcement of its virtual SAN storage solutions with Citrix XenDesktop, Teixeira says deciding to work with Citrix on this end was a no-brainer.
“This is a brilliant move for us by working with Citrix XenDesktop because their company also works with the smaller business market,” he said. “This brings in new end-users for us because many customers are looking for affordable storage networks.”
DataCore’s Virtual Infrastructure Foundation package, he says, lists at just under US$1,000 and says at a price-level like this, plenty of new opportunities will open up in the SMB space for partners.
The company currently works in both the U.S. and Canada and its Canadian partners are handled through one of two distribution companies which include, Alternative Technologies and Lifeboat distribution. Teixeira says through them, DataCore has around 25 to 30 U.S. partners and estimates partners in the Canadian channel landscape to be at about a dozen.
“In Canada, we’re identifying Citrix and VMware partners who are working with Alternative Technologies and Lifeboat distribution and we’re offering them a solution,” Teixeira said. “Our approach with the channel is we function on a 100 per cent channel model.”
DataCore’s virtual SANs help storage to “float” over infrastructures without the need of having to reconnect physical devices together. The software, Teixeira says, can actually be downloaded right off of the Web and partners can run it on a desktop or laptop to show customers how it works with virtualization in just a matter of minutes.
“We make it easy for our partners to utilize our software,” Teixeira said. “We have a multi-tiered partner program with silver, gold and platinum levels and we also have lead registration, training and different discounts that range generally in the 15 to 20 per cent area.”
This new capability is a great offering for partners to use to help break into the SMB space because as Teixeira says, it’s not so much about the software, but rather, it’s more about the consulting and services offerings that can be sold along with it.
“For every $1 or virtual server deployment, there’s usually about $2-3 extra dollars in consulting and services that can be added,” he offers. “From a partner standpoint, we’re trying to get partners to open the door to the low-end of the market place to tackle new customers. We allow them to do this by offering SAN solutions at affordable prices at under US$1,000.”
