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VCE on Wednesday expanded its Vblock converged infrastructure line to the midrange and remote branch office market with the introduction of two new entry models, the Vblock 100 and Vblock 200.
VCE, a joint venture of parent companies EMC and Cisco, also refreshed its existing Vblock solutions, released a new Vblock management software application and unveiled its first application-optimized solution, a Vblock pre-configured with SAP HANA.
VCE is an independent builder of integrated solutions including EMC storage technology, Cisco server and networking technology, and VMware virtualization technology that are shipped to customers only after being fully bundled and tested in VCE's own facilities.
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The new Vblock 100 and Vblock 200 solutions represent the first foray into the midmarket for VCE, which until now has focused primarily on the enterprise market, said D. Martin, VCE's vice president of global channels.
"The midmarket is new for us," Martin said. "It's an expanding market. We've seen demand for converged infrastructure in this space. We think we have a winner on our hands."
The new entry-model Vblocks are indeed a winner, said Kent MacDonald, vice president of converged infrastructure and network services for Long View Systems, a Calgary, Alberta-based VCE integrator for customers in the U.S. and Canada.
Long View Systems has customers who have implemented the enterprise-class Vblock 300 and Vblock 700 solutions and want to extend the solution to their branch offices, MacDonald said. Other customers are interested in Vblocks but find the current models too expensive, he said.
"With the Vblock 100 and Vblock 200, we anticipate customers who are using the Vblock 300 and Vblock 700 to have one platform across all their geographies," he said. "Or the new models can be a complete infrastructure for midmarket companies of small offices."
Long View Systems' VCE Vblock business has been growing strong, especially with customers who either need to roll out a new application but cannot deal with the potential risks of a delay caused by building their IT infrastructure or are looking for a quick way to handle IT infrastructures after a merger or acquisition, MacDonald said.
"We've seen both drivers where customers can't meet tight timelines with traditional infrastructures," he said. "By having the Vblock fine-tuned at the gate, they get operational efficiency on 'Day One' instead of on 'Day X.'"
NEXT: Nuts And Bolts Of The Vblock 100, Vblock 200, SAP HANA Appliance
