Avnet Bundles Single Reseller SKU for FlexPod

Yesterday, Avnet rolled out a program and services around the pre-integration, support, and single SKU ordering for FlexPod solutions from NetApp and Cisco. See the announcement here. FlexPod solutions offer a great alternative for resellers to play in the integrated computing space and be successful despite some customers' hesitance around the vendor lock-in of fully integrated compute stacks. As such, they give resellers a play in building private clouds, especially if they can't or don't want to invest in the ability to pre-integrate the solutions themselves.

As resellers migrate to more application, vertical, and services oriented business models, many will evolve their value propositions away from rack and stack and welcome programs from distributors like Avnet to wrap this all up in a bow so it ships ready to customize.

This pre-integration also extends the market reach for Netapp and Cisco (and, of course, VMware) down through partners not capable of the pre-integration, as well as more broadly to those partners choosing to stick to adding value in software and services. The new breed of partner today often does not care to touch the tin, so Avnet makes it easier for them.

This is another data point for resellers to scrap their backrooms and loading docks, and double down on virtualization and application integration talent.

Read more of Jeff's blog entries at The Business of IT Services.