QLogic Signs With Ingram Micro

The agreement covers QLogic's entire portfolio of storage networking products, said Jim Rothstein, vice president of Americas sales at QLogic.

"Ingram Micro was a big void for us," Rothstein said.

While QLogic's channels were adequate in the past, Rothstein said the company has significantly expanded its product portfolio in the last six months, especially with its new converged network or FCoE products, which combine IP and data network traffic onto a single network under the Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) protocol.

"Also, [QLogic rival] Emulex has been with Ingram Micro for years," Rothstein said. "So it makes sense for us to work together with Ingram Micro."

Scott Zahl, vice president of vendor management for Ingram Micro North America, called the agreement important for the distributor as well as it and its partners expand their storage and converged networking businesses.

"Ingram Micro will continue to build out our core expertise by leveraging our networking experience," Zahl said.

With the agreement, Ingram Micro will carry QLogic's 10-Gbit Ethernet, Fibre Channel and FCoE networking components, which also are sold through Arrow, Synnex and Tech Data.

In addition to QLogic, Ingram Micro carries FCoE products from Cisco Systems and Emulex, and from system and storage vendors such as EMC, Hewlett-Packard and IBM.