Avnet Launches HP 'Drive the Deal' Initiative for Partners

Avnet Technology Solutions EMEA, an IT solutions distributor and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. has launched its HP Drive the Deal initiative in the UK, Germany and Austria to help partners address increasing demand for converged and hyper-converged systems.

The initiative is available through a dedicated website, Avnet-HPVolume.co.uk, and acts as a guide for partners on the diverse range of HP storage offerings. In light of the move toward converged and hyper-converged infrastructure, it provides partners with the knowledge and expertise to select solutions to help them develop their HP businesses.

To support this launch, Avnet Technology Solutions EMEA is running a series of SolutionsPath University events in the UK, Germany and Austria, aimed at sales and pre-sales partner representatives. Avnet’s HP Converged Systems & StoragePath University has been held on 26th March 2015 at Mercedes Benz World, Weybridge, Surrey, UK. This one-day course, led by experienced IT professionals from Avnet and HP, focused on the latest trends in the storage market to provide partners with the skills, tools and contacts to build and sustain a profitable, long-term storage and converged systems business.

The event will be replicated on 12th May 2015 in Austria and in Germany in June.

Avnet is also offering partners demonstration systems for testing and training purposes, and to conduct ‘proof of concepts’ at client premises. A HP 7440c 3PARStoreServ flash demonstration system equipped with a 16Gb FC infrastructure is available, which helps deliver the performance of a specially developed flash-optimised architecture without compromising resilience, efficiency or data mobility. From the beginning of April, Avnet will also make available a hyper-converged system – the HP ConvergedSystem 200-HC StoreVirtual. It is designed with application and hypervisor integration with VMware best practices in mind and provides 99.999% HA for BC.

Andrew Stuart, HP business unit manager, Avnet Technology Solutions, UK, said: “We’ve launched Drive the Deal in collaboration with industry leader, HP, to not only support partners in the deals they’re working on but to drive true, long-term investment in expanding and extending their in-house capabilities for future growth. This initiative helps us work with partners to create leads and opportunities using industry-leading marketing tools, lead classification, and experienced qualification. We can support partners to manage opportunities through our proven account, logistics and finance support. With a perfect combination of product knowledge, industry expertise and personal commitment, we offer our partners individual IT solutions to help them exploit their market potential and improve their business success.“

Chris Johnson, VP GM storage EMEA, HP commented: “This business relationship demonstrates our commitment to offering partners best-in-class support and technology resources to accelerate business growth. SolutionsPath offers ongoing, practical support and an exclusive knowledge-base of educational materials to help partners become storage experts bringing business benefits to their customers.“

Through the website, in collaboration with HP, Avnet facilitates access to configuration and pricing tools that simplify the process of selling.

Partners can drive their HP businesses forward through: