Sterling seeks expansion bid with VAR drive

Sterling Software is hunting for resellers after a reorganisation focusing indirect sales on the storage management market.

Sterling Software is hunting for resellers after a reorganisation focusing indirect sales on the storage management market.

Up to 25 VARs will be recruited in the next few months to expand the vendor's presence in the enterprise market, according to Gary Beechemo, channel manager for Europe at Sterling.

Beechemo began a reorganisation after arriving from distributor Storm in March. His first move was to drop Sterling's distributors - Storm and Norwood Adam - and replace them with Transformation, which has the resources to support resellers and is aligned with Sterling's strategy in storage management. Beechemo said the appointment of a more broadline distributor with a storage focus was also likely.

He said about 12 VARs and integrators will be appointed as a result of a recruitment programme Sterling is running with Transformation. Initially, they will be trained to sell Sterling's products in the storage management area.

Membership of Sterling's preferred reseller partnership programme is free but requires VARs to produce a business and marketing plan and have two sales and two technical staff trained in Sterling's products and services.