Dell launches IoT partner programme
New programme will see Dell bundle together IoT solutions for the channel
Dell Technologies has launched a partner programme that will see it bundle Internet of Things (IoT) offerings for partners.
Launched in conjunction with VMworld, Dell said the programme will provide pre-tested and pre-validated packages that include hardware and software from Dell and technology partners.
The programme comes at a time when the IoT is rapidly expanding and the amount of infrastructure needed to support it is growing, according to officials at Dell's Edge and IoT Division.
"There is a definite shift in the amount of storage and compute power needed to support this transition," Ken Mills, general manager of IoT surveillance and security at Dell, said during an online press conference before VMworld opened.
The number of connected devices worldwide is expected by some industry observers to be as high as 30 billion by 2020 and to continue to grow from there.
The wide array of devices, systems and sensors and the rapid growth of IoT are challenges for businesses looking to embrace IoT, according to Chris Wolff, who took over as head of global OEM and IoT partnerships at Dell in October 2017.
During the press conference, Wolff said companies often understand there are a lot of things they can do with automation and IoT technologies to help them gain insights into their data and make better business decisions, but they can struggle to take the first step.
"How do I know how to get started?" she asked. "It's so daunting because there are so many things I could do with IoT theoretically at work, but what are the things I should do? And how do I have a conversation with the techies to find out what's possible or feasible for my organisation and how do I make sure I don't choose the Betamax instead of the VHS?"
Dell claimed that it can give customers a complete package by bringing together technologies from its partners and the vendors under its umbrella.
The bundles will be sold entirely through the channel, giving partners not only another solution to offer their customers, but also a new revenue stream to take advantage of as IoT continues to grow in the enterprise.
Wolff said the programme will focus on "enabling reseller partners, who are very good at deploying IT infrastructure and managing that infrastructure to provide that same level of management and security across non-traditional devices such as refrigerator coolers".