EMC Introducing VSPEX Infrastructure …

EMC Corp. announced VSPEX Proven Infrastructure, an efficient and flexible reference architecture comprised of EMC’s storage systems and next-generation backup products, along with virtualization, server, and network technology from EMC alliance partners Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Intel, Microsoft, and VMware.

The fourteen initial VSPEX configurations represent the most popular use cases for customers moving to cloud computing. These use cases are focused on enabling customers to accelerate deployment of private cloud and end user computing environments. For private cloud deployments customers have the option of running VMware vSphere 5.0 or Microsoft Windows Hyper-V from 50-250 virtual machines and for end-user computing deployments customers can choose between VMware View and Citrix XenDesktop from 50 to 2000 virtual desktops. Additional VSPEX configurations will be made available based on partner demand.

VSPEX Proven Infrastructure is now available to partners in the EMC Velocity partner program. For the first time partners can leverage the EMC brand and industrial design in delivering VSPEX solutions to their customers. In addition EMC is providing VSPEX labs for partners to test, validate and demonstrate new VSPEX solutions.

VSPEX Customer Benefits

• Simple – VSPEX Proven Infrastructures deliver predictable performance that reduces the planning, sizing and configuration burdens of adopting private cloud or end-user computing environments. In addition, EMC’s validation of the VSPEX configuration reduces deployment time. Finally, alignment with Windows Server Hyper-V and VMware vSphere cloud infrastructure provide customers a single point of management using System Center for Microsoft cloud and VMware vCenter Operations Management Suite for private cloud deployments.
• Efficient – Built on EMC’s VNX and VNXe unified storage systems and Avamar and Data Domain next-generation backup products, VSPEX provides customers with efficiency. Leveraging technologies such as data deduplication, compression and Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST), customers can expect to lower operational costs. By integrating these technologies with the hypervisor and end-user computing environments, customers can also benefit from simpler administration and lower management costs.
• Flexible – VSPEX allows customers to combine their choice of server, network, and virtualization technologies into an infrastructure validated and built on a flexible EMC storage and backup infrastructure. Additionally, the customer’s channel partner of choice – who understands the specific customer’s requirements – can customize VSPEX to meet their needs.

EMC VSPEX Channel Partner Benefits

• Market Opportunity – Channel partners can now sell complete, flexible solutions to their customers, resulting in a higher attach rate of components, and a bigger sale. VSPEX allows partners the option to mix and match server and network components based on customers’ specific infrastructure and application requirements to improve profitability while optimizing the value delivered to the customer.
• Faster Time to Market – VSPEX offers channel partners complete configuration and sizing guidelines for the most common workloads that can reduce the requirements collection phase of the sales cycle. VSPEX adds value to the partner’s sales process by reducing integration and validation costs while still getting all the benefits of delivering complete solutions. EMC is enabling its channel partners with training and technical and sales collateral to help the partner bring VSPEX to market. The broad awareness, integration into EMC campaigns and demand generation tools helps partners to generate leads for their VSPEX solutions.
• Partner Branded and Customizable Solution – It allows partners to brand their VSPEX solution and increase their mindshare in the customer’s environment.
• VSPEX Labs – Partners can leverage EMC’s investment in the new VSPEX Labs to test additional infrastructures in collaboration with EMC and other VSPEX partners.

Peter Koliopoulos, VP, North America Marketing for Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions, a business unit of Arrow Electronics, said: "Arrow ECS believes that VSPEX offers our solution provider community a great opportunity to deliver additional value to their customers. As demand for converged infrastructure increases, VSPEX enables solution providers to deliver a modular solution that can be integrated into an existing IT infrastructure."

Scott Look, VP and GM of the Technology Infrastructure Solutions Group at Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, said: "EMC VSPEX will enable Avnet to provide our partners with complete solutions that accelerate the deployment of virtualization and cloud offerings for small-to-medium businesses as well as the mid-enterprise market and OEMs. VSPEX is enhanced by Avnet’s broad portfolio of complementary supplier solutions that when combined with our extensive services offerings give channel partners a flexible deployment option that can be implemented quickly with higher efficiency and lower risk."

Scott Zahl, VP and GM, Ingram Micro Advanced Computing Division, U.S., said: "EMC’s new VSPEX solutions broadens the playing field for our mutual Velocity partners – bringing more choice, flexibility, and selling opportunities to the IT channel. As a full ONE EMC distribution partner offering solutions from  EMC, Iomega, Isilon, VMware and RSA, Ingram Micro brings to market a proven, robust and integrated set of EMC solutions that are supported by a dedicated division and business unit focused on partner enablement, execution and mutual success."

Chuck Bartlett, VP and GM, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) at Tech Data Corp., said: "Expanding our partnership with EMC with the addition of VSPEX Proven Infrastructure to our AIS offering enables our resellers to accelerate private cloud deployment. VSPEX represents faster deployment, more simplicity, greater choice, higher efficiency, and lower risk for our channel partners. Our dedicated EMC team in AIS is available to assist our resellers in selecting the correct technology to leverage their existing IT infrastructure and eliminate configuration burdens."

John McHugh, VP and CMO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., said: "The new VSPEX solutions represent an excellent option for customers looking to introduce greater levels of productivity and IT efficiency by transitioning to the cloud. Brocade’s cloud-optimized networking technologies provide an ideal foundation for the delivery of highly-scalable, best-in-class VSPEX Proven Infrastructure that enable customers to benefit from the power of virtualization and cloud without introducing IT complexity and vendor lock-in."

Wendy Bahr, SVP, Global Strategic Partner Organization, Cisco Systems, Inc., said: "Cisco is focused on helping our customers accelerate their transition to the cloud with integrated solutions, like EMC’s VSPEX Proven Infrastructures. EMC’s VSPEX with Cisco UCS and Nexus Switches provide  customers with a rapid path for deploying cloud applications and increased flexibility to scale their infrastructures as their business needs grow and to maximize their return on investment."

Cynthia Gallant, VP, Channel Strategy and Development at Citrix Systems, Inc., said: "Small and mid-sized businesses desire to take full advantage of the business benefits that desktop virtualization provides. With the new VSPEX Proven Infrastructure, EMC provides modular solutions that deliver greater simplicity and lower risk for these companies. At the same time, we see these pre-validated infrastructure stacks as highly beneficial to our channel partners, enabling them to rapidly deploy virtual desktops for their customers. VSPEX Proven Infrastructure, combined with the industry-leading XenDesktop, can accelerate the deployment of private clouds for customers. This allows organizations to enable mobile workstyles with anywhere, anytime access to desktops, applications and data, significantly increasing the security of mobile users on multiple device types, and greatly reducing ongoing desktop management requirements."

Boyd Davis, VP and GM of Datacenter Infrastructure Group, Intel Corporation, said: "Combining the energy efficient performance of the Intel Xeon processor with EMC storage technologies enables users to rapidly deploy robust, tested solutions to meet their changing businesses. With the arrival of EMC’s new VSPEX Infrastructure, Intel and EMC continue to deliver scalable solutions that meet our customers’ needs and amplify the benefits of our long standing technology partnership that advances cloud computing."

Mike Schutz, GM, Product Marketing, Windows Server and Virtualization, Microsoft Corp., said: "VSPEX aligns with Microsoft’s commitment to enabling cloud computing with infrastructure architectures and guidance that build on proven and cost-effective Microsoft technology, including Windows Server, Windows Server Hyper-V, and System Center. Microsoft customers can take advantage of their existing IT infrastructure and knowledge as they move into the private, public, and hybrid cloud. Partners can benefit from the combination of Microsoft and EMC products to expand their businesses and accelerate their customers’ adoption of cloud computing technologies."

Scott Aronson, SVP, Global Channels and Alliances, VMware Inc., said: "EMC VSPEX Proven Infrastructure provides reliable and efficient data center solutions for a wide range of businesses as they accelerate their journey to the cloud. Using VMware cloud infrastructure on EMC VSPEX enables organizations to become more efficient and flexible as their evolving business needs require, and provides an opportunity for our mutual channel partners to expand their roles as trusted technology advisers."

Gregg Ambulos, SVP of Global Channel Sales, EMC, said: "With VSPEX we’re giving our channel partners the tools to address the fast growing market in virtual infrastructure and private cloud computing. VSPEX will accelerate customers journey to the cloud as it enables our partners to build value and differentiation. VSPEX has changed how solutions are delivered with partners."

Jeremy Burton, EVP and CMO, EMC, said: "EMC is uniquely delivering a complete spectrum of choice for organizations on the journey to cloud computing. VSPEX provides a balance of simplicity and flexibility, while maximizing efficiency. We are excited to be building VSPEX with industry leaders like Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Intel, Microsoft and VMware and delivering it to our customers exclusively through our Velocity channel partners."