What Might Dell Buy To Beef Up Storage?

Venero, who worked with EqualLogic before the Dell acquisition, said that Dell has brought credibility to EqualLogic and also helped scale its technology.

"If you look at the Dell/EqualLogic or HP/LeftHand deals, it's easier for smaller companies to grow as part of a larger company," Venero said.

The success of such acquisitions needs to be understood not only from an individual company or technology perspective, but also in terms of how they fit the buyer's strategy, Venero said.

He cited Dell's acquisition of EqualLogic, remote SaaS management vendor EverDream and remote IT infrastructure monitoring vendor SilverBack as examples of how to bring multiple technologies together as part of a long-term strategy.

"Dell is looking to be more of an enterprise player, and a player in the services business," he said. "[Those acquisitions] all help Dell in the services support and infrastructure and the enterprise markets."

The anonymous solution provider said Dell has done a surprisingly good job of keeping the channel in the forefront in the wake of its acquisition of EqualLogic. "We would hope Dell uses the same intelligence with whatever vendor it chooses," the solution provider said.