All Hands On Deck: Ingram Micro's Virtual Juniper Lab

Resellers really need to know all the ins and outs of the products and solutions they offer, but sometimes it's just too difficult to get a hands-on experience. Ingram Micro and Juniper have teamed up to create the Ingram-Juniper Virtual Lab to give VARs all the benefits of a hands-on experience from anywhere at any time.

Currently, there are more than 30 resellers who log into hardware on a weekly basis to display, configure and work with everything from Juniper firewalls and routers to the new EX series of Ethernet switches. Essentially, the virtual lab gives VARs the ability to log into a Juniper hardware appliance to demo the product remotely and test-run configurations before or during a pre- or post-sales call with Ingram's tech support team.

According to Sean Porter, senior tech support specialist, Ingram Micro's lead Juniper engineer, "Ninety-five percent of tech support sales are presale in nature, the rest are post-sale."

A virtual environment gives VARs the same benefits of a physical lab without the traveland#8212;and the time and money involved. Qualified resellers can log into the lab to configure, test and evaluate Juniper gear to grow their technical competence and expertise.

Shown here is a log-in screen to get to information on the Juniper EX switch series.

The virtual lab concept started about a year ago as a way to help VARs evaluate, configure and troubleshoot Juniper hardware. The lab requires just a log in and presents an up-close-and-personal look at the gear itself.

"It's hands-on in nature to help VARs get a look and feel for the gear," Porter said. "It started to take on a mind of its own."

The Juniper Virtual Lab comprises seven Ingram Micro technicians dedicated to Juniper, including solutions architects that put together full solutions for VARs. Ingram's team of presales engineers can leverage the lab while they're on calls with resellers to demonstrate the features and benefits of certain pieces of equipment to their clients and help them provide the necessary proof of performance to close deals. Engineers can also conduct secure meetings with customers to educate them on specific product lines and features to grow their sales competencies.

Shown here are links to information on several different Juniper solutions.

There is also an Ingram-Juniper resource guide of links and info to help VARs get sales. It offers pricing lists, data sheets, feature explanations, competitive documentation and more for specific Juniper products, all linked off one main page. Some of the information requires a password for access.

Shown here is the entrance page to the resource guide that lets VARs pick which Juniper tools they want to dive into.

The virtual lab site has a dedicated T1 connection for the front page and offers upload/download rates of 1.5 MB. Porter said using the virtual lab is like demoing the actual hardware and being able to get a good look and feel for what the hardware looks like.

Pictured here is the session manager that shows whether a user is connected.

The Ingram Micro Virtual Juniper Lab is free to all Ingram Micro-Juniper reseller partners with a tech support contract. Overall, users can get a handle on 10 different pieces of hardware, including two routers, three to four firewalls, the NetScreen security manager, the EX switching line and Juniper's SSL VPN.

Shown here is the view for the EX-series Web Device Manager.

End users get the benefit here too, since it lets them examine Juniper hardware before they decide to purchase and deploy it.

"It really helps and#91;VAR'sand#93; end users get the look and feel of the hardware before they buy it," Porter said. "It's the exact same interface an end-user customer will see when they log into the switch for the first time."

Shown here is a view of the Juniper ScreenOS, which runs on its VPN and firewall products.

The virtual lab is continually updated when new hardware is introduced. Currently, Porter said, the EX switching line is getting the most traction because many VARs and end customers are still evaluating whether they will deploy the switches, which launched in January.

Shown here is a view of the J4350 router.