Dell Channel Chief Leverages EqualLogic To Go After HP, IBM VARs

Greg Davis, vice president and general manager of Dells' Americas Channel Group is using EqualLogic to win new support from VARs. He spoke with Everything Channel's News Editor Steven Burke and Industry Editor Craig Zarley at XChange about the vendor's plans use EqualLogic to recruit solution providers from IBM, HP and other rivals.

What are the extra benefits for Dell solution providers that attain Enterprise Architecture certification?

What we did when we launched the program was take what EqualLogic had built and launch it into a program. EqualLogic had registered partners, and when they have deals with EqualLogic they get 27 percent off list. Certified partners get an additional 10 percent. We brought all of that into Dell. We are working to expand the same type of structure on blades and other Dell services. Take a look at what I've done with EqualLogic and the goal is how do I extend that to other product lines? That EA certification is only a month and a half old. We are building the process to enable it. You also get 120 days worth of deal registration versus our normal 60 days. Certified partners who register deals get twice as much time to close those deals. They also get 60-day terms versus 30 days. And they get channel account managers and dedicated sales coverage.

Are you actively recruiting HP's and IBM's enterprise partners?

There were roughly 450 EqualLogic partners that are now a part of our program. They are primarily integrators and resellers of servers and blades that weren't Dell. We are offering them seed units on our blades. We are integrating bundles of blades and storage. We think we've got industry leading iSCSI storage devices from Dell/EqualLogic. Now there is an opportunity for our partners to bundle that with Dell blade enclosures. Our new products [blades] are easier to install and more energy efficient that those of our competitors and are partners are starting to see that.

But is there a cohesive program at Dell to go pick off these HP-only or IBM-only solution providers?

The short answer is I really have developed a relationship with a number of partners over the years and I am working really hard to get them registered and certified. But the longer answer is absolutely. And I'm trying to lead with our EqualLogic storage, which we think is industry leading. Many of them have already been selling [EqualLogic] and they've been selling it with a competitor's server. Now I am talking to every single one of them about how we can get them trained on Dell servers.

What is your message to managed services solution providers who are looking to partner with Dell versus where Dell direct is going to be positioned?

I was just speaking with a solution provider here who was selling managed services and I want him to utilize the Dell systems, the software and the NOC. His value-add is that onsite touch. I don't have that onsite investment that he has there. That's his value-add. My pitch is to use me to streamline your costs. Yes, it's different than what you experienced, but if you're still doing all that stuff, I've got something new to talk about. It won't be for everyone. But those that take advantage of it can lower their costs by leveraging Dell. From a business owner's perspective, how much time and money do you spend loading software and why can't I do that for you? On managed services, why would you build thousands of NOCs around the country, when they can leverage Dell? The partners who do that have a competitive advantage over others.

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