New distie Ethos brings 'Silicon Valley rock stars' to UK
Software-defined storage start-up Hedvig teams up with distributor
New distributor Ethos Technology has been signed up by software-defined storage (SDS) start-up Hedvig as it continues its quest to bring up-and-coming US technology to the UK.
Ethos burst onto the scene last year with the aim of bringing emerging products from Silicon Valley to the local channel at the same time they launch across the pond. The company claimed the UK is often around two years behind the US in terms of new technology and wants to close that gap.
The firm has worked closely with storage start-up Cohesity and has now broadened its horizons and been signed up by Hedvig.
Hedvig is a Santa Clara-based SDS start-up which launched in 2012. Its leadership team includes executives who have previously worked at the likes of Amazon, NetApp, EMC and Riverbed. The firm claims its distributed storage platform product is "highly scalable" and allows users to "transform" the way they use storage.
Ethos' CTO Adam Worthington described the Hedvig executive team as "Silicon Valley rock stars" and said the partnership is a big deal for his distie.
"We have to be very careful and discerning in our choices," he said. "We have to make sure we are betting on the right horses. With new technologies it takes a lot of investment from us - from a time and funding perspective - but it is huge for us to take on a new vendor."
For now, Ethos will focus on working with existing partner Cohesity and new arrival Hedvig, but Worthington said a few more emerging players could be set to join its vendor line-up soon. With that in mind, the distie is looking to boost the number of staff it has from its current base of 14.
Worthington said the reaction from the channel to the company's unusual business model has been great.
"There's such a melting pot now - 10 years ago everything was static and there was a tick-box in terms of the way you did things," he said. "But now people are looking at innovative ways of doing things. Nobody ever got fired for selling IBM or whatever other tier-one vendor you like, but things are different now and are scrutinised.
"The reaction to Hedvig has been incredibly positive and they are doing some proof of concepts with some household names. The feedback has been really, really positive and interest is very high indeed."