Avnet ramps up IBM System p partners

Distributor signs up 15 System p server partners in six months

Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) has signed 15 new IBM Business Partners in six months to sell its System p servers, it announced this week.

Matthew Gower, Avnet’s UK and Nordic sales vice president, said: “By the end of the year more than 50 people will have been trained and gained IBM certification to sell System p family of servers.

“We want Business Partners to expand their product range and to move upwards into more business critical areas of their customers’ operations. We do the paperwork and make training affordable so they can extend their skills and market opportunities.”

Though the SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) System p is a popular item in the IBM product set, distributor ATS felt it needed to make it easier for resellers to become fully certified business partners.

Steve Hollingsworth, sales director of hardware broker Covenco, said: “The IBM System p range is a strong product set that would benefit our customers and the deals on offer are very attractive,”

However, Hollingsworth added that as companies like Covenco move away from hardware sales, and into services, supporting schemes from distributors like ATS are a great help.

Avnet’s Matthew Gower agreed: “Developing new skills requires Business Partners to make a big commitment of finance and resources. As a value added distributor our role is to make the process as affordable and as painless as possible.”