Bytech deal gives Big Blue a low-end boost

IBM has sets its sights on the SME market for its range of server products by appointing Bytech Systems to act as a distributor for its NT-based PC servers.

Bytech has been acting as a distributor of IBM AIX RS/ 6000 Unix systems for the past two years and is accredited as an IBM AIX centre of excellence.

The move will see the company being able to direct low-end server solutions to users that are new to networked environments.

The company's marketing manager Alan Diggory said that selling the PC server kit was a natural extension of Bytech's existing links with IBM.

'We've been successful with the RS/6000 products, and are now in a position to help resellers provide the full range of server solutions.'

Bytech has said it will be providing pre-sales and post-sales support to Vars looking to push IBM PC server products toward SMEs.

Ken Moss, managing director of Bytech Systems, said: 'IBM has stated that it will be focusing on companies with less than 1,000 employees, where there is an increasing demand for low-end solutions based on Windows NT.'

Big Blue has said that enabling its channel to offer users the full range of server solutions is a key strategy. Mike Lunch, director of personal systems at the IBM PC company, said: 'Bytech will be able to apply their considerable experience to IBM PC servers and options solutions.'

IBM is to act as an early adopter of NT server clustering, under the umbrella of Microsoft's Wolfpack OEM scheme using its own Pheonix technology.

Wolfpack clustering is intended to improve availability of data and applications in clustered systems by allowing two servers to work together as a single logical system.

Big Blue will be working to see that its server configurations run to support Microsoft's Wolfpack clustering software, which is planned for release during early 1997.