Gresham scheme opens up EDT
Storage area network management software vendor Gresham Computing has launched an enterprise accreditation scheme which will allow resellers to gain access to its entire product suite.
The vendor's EDT DistribuTape middleware product enables integration between StorageTek libraries and Tivoli Storage Management software.
At present resellers accredited by Tivoli are also able to resell Gresham's EDT DistribuTape software. However, Gresham sells its other software directly to end users or through Tivoli.
Resellers that become accredited under the scheme will be able to resell the entire EDT suite, including EDT Control Centre and EDT Health Monitor.
Nick Pettitt, channel sales director at Gresham, said: "The scheme will take our enterprise resellers through some highly technical training so they can integrate and optimise our software.
"We don't want people installing our software who don't know how to do it properly. We are protecting our own interests, those of the end user and, with the new scheme, the interests of our partners."
There is some cost involved for resellers that wish to be accredited, Pettitt admitted, although the company has still to finalise the exact cost. Partners are required to take part in a week's training programme.
"We are not looking for a huge number of resellers. We are looking to place a global carpet of resellers which will support Gresham and Tivoli. It is not a scheme that is restricted by numbers," Pettitt said.
The company has already appointed its first accredited systems integrator for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Midlands-based Phoenix was appointed earlier this month as an EDT Accredited partner.
Nick Robinson, chief executive at Phoenix, told vnunet.com's sister publication Computer Reseller News that Gresham's technology allowed Unix and mainframes to share storage and back-up, presenting resellers with greater opportunities.
"For resellers that are already involved with Tivoli, Gresham's scheme is a good thing because it enhances a product set that they are already selling," he said.