Storage vendor Intransa Inc is looking out for mid-sized solution providers
to promote its family of IP-SAN solutions. The new inductees could include
security or storage vendors who have already sold servers to their clients and
now want to help the latter graduate to a more cost-effective and scalable
storage environment. "We are especially seeking partners who have got good
domain knowledge and customer base in the SMB customer segment," said
Vaidyanathan Iyer, Country Manager-India, Intransa.
Intransa has adopted a 100 percent channel model for its sale. Its tier-one
partners include Ingram Micro, HCL Peripherals and SES Technologies. Tier-two
partners will be facilitated through these tier-one players and the company has
already managed to set up a base of 40 partners.
Vaidyanathan noted that selling Intransa's IP-SAN solutions would be a
viable option for most systems integrators (SI) and solution providers in the
country, as they do not need more than a simple training on this plat-form.
Also, as more and more companies look towards IP-SAN due to regulatory
compliance and its cost-effectiveness, shifting to this technology will be a
natural progression to most partners.
"Our SI partners need to have good IT knowledge, concept of storage as a
technology and a good contact base," added Vaidyanathan. They need not even
invest into creating a new division for this business line. Even consultants who
can build an architecture around Intransa's solutions will be consider for
induction into its channel ranks.
Talking about how Intransa will develop this channel after bringing it on
board, Vaidyanathan said that the company would empower them with training,
support, technology and handholding while making sales pitches. It will also
have certification programs to grade partners, depending on their technical
skill sets.
In case of multiple channel bids for the same clientele, Intransa will choose
the partner that is most loyal to it, and therefore eliminate duplicity.
"We will utilize the strength of the right partner at the right
place," he noted.
To help partners to show-case Intransa's proficiency in IP-SAN solutions,
the comp-any has set up a proof of concept (PoC) center at it R&D facility
in Pune. It will open another PoC in Bangalore shortly. The vendor is also
working with partners who want to open smaller PoCs in their own offices.
"We provide them with Intransa systems on an evaluation basis along with
demo units," remarked Vaidyanathan.
Vinita Bhatia
Mumbai