Mancunian VAR ANS Group has become hardware giant Dell's latest reseller recruit to its PartnerDirect programme.

ANS has attained Certified partner status and will specialise in the PC vendor's Enterprise Architecture technology. It will have access to all of Dell's enterprise-targeted products and training resources.

ANS already has top-level partner certifications from vendors including Cisco, Microsoft, VMware and Novell. Managing director Paul Sweeney said: "Our approach is to package best-of-breed hardware and software with our services in order to help simplify our customers’ IT operations. Dell is a perfect fit with this ethos."

ANS is the ninth UK VAR to publicly announce it has gained Dell's top accreditation, joining other enterprise specialists Nviron and Skye Consult. The Internet Group, Ramsac, SICL and fellow Manchester-based VAR JMC IT are focused on the SME space. Taran Microsystems and Upgrade Options are the only two resellers to date to achieve both the SME and enterprise certifications.

Sweeney added: "We see a huge opportunity around virtualisation and infrastructure optimisation which our partnership will help us capitalise on. Dell’s hardware – including Dell EqualLogic iSCSI storage systems – provides the perfect platform for virtual environments which are more cost-effective and simpler to manage for our customers.

"Along with first-class technology, Dell has a great partner programme. PartnerDirect gives us all the tools and support we need to build a very profitable business around Dell solutions.”