New EMC Platinum partner Didata: We come in peace
UK boss Calvin Goom says Dimension Data will not be a threat to other EMC resellers as it becomes second UK Platinum partner on back of Catalyst Alliance
Dimension Data has become EMC's second UK Platinum partner after striking a global deal with the storage vendor around hybrid cloud.
Under the duo's "Catalyst Alliance", Didata has been confirmed as the first partner to earn global Platinum status in EMC's Business Partner Programme, a badge it will consequently now hold in every country in which it operates.
Talking to CRN, Didata UK managing director Calvin Goom (pictured) said the alliance would enable EMC sales staff to sell a hybrid, private or public cloud solution that is "Didata delivered, with EMC inside".
"Through this partnership we have identified a unique opportunity for Didata to play in a way that is not combative to other partners of EMC, because they are in different value or market segments," he said.
Taking a specific component of the Catalyst Alliance, Goom said Didata will build its cloud control and automation technologies into the VCE architecture. The VCE factory will then pre-build this as a Didata cloud-enabled VBlock for VCE to sell.
Neil Campbell, security business group general manager at Didata, said the Catalyst Alliance is typical of the relationship Didata now demands from its vendors.
"This is going to sound arrogant, but if we're fitting into a vendor's standard programme, we are doing it wrong collectively," he said.
"We are not a standard company; we are a global player in 58 countries. With all our vendors we have a one-off partnering agreement, because you can't fit us into a standard reseller partner programme."
Since EMC launched its Business Partner Programme last year, only Computacenter has been able to meet the imposing $65m (£41.6m) revenue threshold for Platinum status in the UK. The Catalyst Alliance sees Didata leap from Silver to Platinum status in the UK.
When asked if EMC had loosened the criteria in the case of Didata, Goom said Didata's appointment as a global Platinum partner was "more about EMC recognising the market opportunity".
"We've had to ensure that in-country we have those requisite skills, but it's all rolled up into a global agreement," he added. "The way in which we add value through Catalyst is unique to Didata and it's not something EMC is looking to replicate with lots of other partners.
"There's a lot we are doing in stealth, which is very typical of Didata's style in terms of our presence in the datacentre."
Ian Parslow, senior vice president of sales, Europe at EMC Gold partner MTI, said: "This is a great example of two organisations taking something good and collaboratively making it better.
"Customers are looking for more flexible and innovative solutions. I think this extended service offering between Dimension Data and EMC can only serve to positively progress not only the channel but to demonstrate to the wider customer community that they now have options when considering how to securely provision their storage needs."