EMC looks for UK distributor

Storage giant EMC is poised to sign up its first broadline distributor in the UK following months of speculation.

The vendor is looking to grab 30 per cent of the SME market with its low-end SAN AX100 system, formerly code-named Piranha, and signed Tech Data in the US in March.

Nigel Ghent, EMC's UK marketing manager, confirmed that Computer 2000, the UK arm of Tech Data, is one company being considered. Westcoast is understood to be another.

Ghent said: "There have been discussions with Ideal, our current distributor. [But] Ideal works rather more in the mid-tier through value-added resellers."

He added that the company's existing relationship with Ideal will continue. Ghent said a deal is likely to be signed with a broadliner towards the end of this quarter.

"Broadline is low end and high volume, and will be very focused around AX100 and NetWin [Windows-based NAS appliance]," he said.

Sean Horne, EMC partner manager for indirect partners, said: "Ideal is an EMC technical distributor. It has certified systems engineers and a technical account manager. A broadliner won't have these."

But William Bond, Ideal's EMC business manager, said: "[Ideal is] also able to look at volume products. As a storage distributor we compete with broadliners. We think the AX100 is a tremendous opportunity.

C2000 and Westcoast were not available for comment at time of going to press.

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