Xsigo hails channel growth

I/O virtualisation vendor reinforces commitment to channel with pledge to uphold partner margins

I/O virtualisation vendor Xsigo has assured partners that it has no plans to become a commodity product, because of the impact it would have on margins.

The vendor specialises in technology that consolidates Ethernet and Fibre Channel connections into a single high-speed cable, which can help to reduce performance bottlenecks in datacentres.

The firm counts Kelway, SCC and Computacenter as reseller partners and has distribution deals in place with Arrow ECS and Zycko.

Speaking to ChannelWeb, Michelle Humphreys, business development director for EMEA at Xsigo, said the firm was in "stealth mode" at the moment, buoyed by the growing demand for I/O technology in the channel.

"We have partnerships with some great resellers and have also worked hard to align ourselves with tier-one vendors such as Dell, Microsoft and EMC, and that has really helped," she said.

"It is the right place, at the right time with this technology and at a point where the market understands what I/O is and why it is important."

The company has 15 partners reselling its products across EMEA, and Humphreys said it is not looking to add many more to its books.

"We are not going for a commodity play with this product," she said. "We are happy to keep things [partner numbers] light to ensure margins remain high."

Looking ahead, she said the firm is planning to formalise its partner programme early next year. "There will be some new benefits, and a new tiering framework to reflect the maturity of our channel," she added.