Dot Hill VARs Assured by SAN kit

Vendor lifts lid on dedicated product offering for two-tier channel network

Reid: Selling products exclusively through channel will reduce risk of conflict with OEM partners

Vendor Dot Hill Systems has bolstered its commitment to the channel with the launch of Assured­SAN 3000, the latest addition to its entry-level product family.

The OEM-centric vendor has released three product strands – the C, S and R series – which are being sold exclusively through its resale and distribution channel under the Dot Hill brand.

Andy Mills, vice president of marketing and business development at Dot Hill, explained: “Several OEM partners will offer their own branded versions [of the product], with different features and different software or solutions packages, but not the C, S or R variants, or under the Dot Hill brand.”

The S and the R Series both feature a suite of data recovery applications, including the firm’s data backup solution AssuredRemote. The vendor claims such solutions may have previously been “beyond budget” for its SME target audience.

Warren Reid, director of marketing for EMEA at Dot Hill, said the decision to sell the products exclusively through its reseller network was taken to reduce the risk of channel conflict.

“We do not want to compete with our OEM partners and this arrangement means that we are to achieve that by addressing different areas of the market,” he said.

Brett Edgecombe, sales director at Dot Hill Silver partner 101 Data Solutions, said the products would make a welcome addition to his company’s portfolio.

“In the past, data recovery solutions have been totally unaffordable to SMEs, so to offer these features as standard is exciting for VARs who target that market,” he said.

Paul Hickingbotham, solutions manager at Dot Hill distributor Hammer, said: “This further enhances Dot Hill’s commitment to this model, and will help develop its reseller channel.”