Westcon Group Extends Relationship With Brocade

Westcon Group, Inc., a value-added distributor of unified communications, infrastructure, data center, and security solutions with a network of specialty resellers, announced the integration of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.‘s products into the distributor’s LEAP Centers of Excellence in Denver, Colorado.

Founded in 2010, each LEAP (Learn, Experience, Architect and Plan) Center is engineered to replicate a real-world data center. This allows for actionable testing of scenarios that customers face when deploying virtualization and private cloud infrastructures.

During an event held at the LEAP Center, Westcon and Brocade offered a glimpse into this new functionality – incorporating solutions ranging from switches and backbone routers to wireless LAN. Key products operating within the training center now include those from the Brocade NetIron router, BigIron switch, TurboIron top-of-rack switch and FastIron switch portfolios. Also included are ServerIron ADX and Brocade 6510, as well as the Brocade VDX 6720 data center switches.

"While virtualization and cloud computing are certainly top-of-mind for many companies, most have little insight as to how it will actually perform within their infrastructures," said Andrew Warren, Vice President, Westcon Group. "To understand the impact of virtualization, partners require a highly interactive, hands-on experience that mirrors their customers’ real-world data center environments. That’s where our LEAP initiative comes in."

Westcon’s LEAP Centers permit resellers to test and experience an array of high-growth solutions, including high-performance virtualized computing platforms, virtualization-enabled core switching, virtualization provisioning, network virtualization, LAN and SAN switching platforms, application networking, virtualized unified communications, virtualized applications, and unified data center management. Full functionality is available both on-site and via remote access.

This announcement builds on the companies’ recently expanded agreement, enabling Westcon to offer both the Brocade IP/Ethernet and SAN networking portfolios in key markets worldwide. Together, the company’s IP/Ethernet networking and SAN products are the foundation for Brocade One – an approach to designing networks and helping customers smoothly transition to a world where information and applications reside anywhere.

"Brocade cloud-optimized networking technologies provide a solid foundation for customers looking to deploy virtualized and cloud-based solutions within their data center environments," said Laurie Potratz, Senior Director of Americas Channel Sales, Brocade. "The inclusion of Brocade products within Westcon’s LEAP Centers is a valuable addition that will enable resellers and their customers to not only experience the advanced capabilities of these products first-hand, but also to understand how they interoperate with other technologies to ensure a smooth, trouble-free implementation at the customer site."

Each LEAP Center is a proof-of-concept facility and the cornerstone of Westcon’s broad-based mentor/reseller enablement framework – including the company’s Path-to-Partnership Brocade Reseller Development Program. Key enablement offerings include accelerated training, business planning, vendor leverage, and demand generation – all of which may be deployed to assist partners in expanding their portfolios. This environment can be customized for the reseller to replicate an end-user’s data center infrastructure. In addition to the center’s advanced technological benefits, the LEAP curriculum helps partners better articulate the business benefits, justification and ROI for each solution – increasing confidence and sales.