Avnet Hall-Mark Offers Support For EMC Clariion CX Series

Tempe, Ariz.-based Avnet Hall-Mark has integrated the CX Series into its IT DemoCentral service, a library of enterprise solutions available through a secure Web portal. Resellers can reserve the service for internal training purposes or to demonstrate the benefits of solutions to end-user customers.

Avnet Hall-Mark will hold a two-day "boot Camp" later this month to provide technical training on the Clariion CX Series. The event will enable resellers to obtain product information, accreditation training and access to the IT DemoCentral tool, executives said.

"Our channel partners are essential in ensuring the success of the new Clariion CX Series," said Gregg Ambulos, vice president of global channels at EMC, in a statement. "Avnet Hall-Mark is a key partner and has taken a leadership position in delivering Clariion's leading features, functions and software to market."

Avnet Hall-Mark also plans to offer its Networked Storage Advisor service to solution providers, a service to help analyze an end user's storage networks. It assists resellers in making storage recommendations, including CX Series opportunities.

"The evolution of EMC's Clariion product line has created a great market opportunity -- perfectly positioned for our midmarket resellers," said Jeff Bawol, senior vice president and general manager of Avnet Hall-Mark's enterprise software and storage business unit, in a statement. "We're ready with the tools and support for our resellers to market, sell and implement new Clariion CX Series networked storage solutions immediately."

Meanwhile, The CX Series will also be available in Arrow Electronics' Enterprise Solution Labs in Atlanta and Minneapolis, said Lance Sedlak, director of marketing for the Enterprise Storage Solutions unit of Arrow.

Arrow has trained 180 people on the Clariion line in its boot camps dating back to last year and expects that number to increase with the CX Series, Sedlak said.

"The performance and upgrade compatibility of these systems offers resellers a great opportunity to close new business and support their installed base customers," Sedlak said in a statement. "We'll be conducting a series of reseller training and launch support events. Combined, the new systems and Arrow's support services gives Arrow resellers broader capabilities to win in the mid-tier market."

Arrow resellers may work with the new systems in person or remotely using Arrow's Lab Bridge support service that offers Internet-based conferencing with integrated data and audio in an interactive environment, executives said.

"EMC and Arrow are working together to help ensure that our partners can take advantage of the full range of features and functions when incorporating these leading networked storage platforms into a broad range of end-user customer environments," Ambulos said in a statement.