HDS Enhancing TrueNorth Partner Program

Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
announced a series of enhancements to the Hitachi TrueNorth Partner
Program.

The improved program for 2013 focuses on specialization, education, incentives
and support designed to help accelerate HDS partners’ sales revenue and profit.

"There has never been a better time
to be a Hitachi TrueNorth partner than right now," said Jack Domme, CEO, HDS.
"We are creating massive, unique
opportunities for partners to grow their business by addressing the most
complex business challenges our customers face. We are honored to work with
outstanding partners that continue to bring incredible value and innovation to
not only the customers they serve, but the entire marketplace."

Hitachi TrueNorth Partner Program
Enhancements:

• 
  Services Specialization Program: Provides partners around
  the globe with real-time 24/7 access to the same tools, best practices, and
  associated manuals and implementation materials as HDS employees, under a
  single-access framework. The program is enhanced with a set of remote
  service offerings for Hitachi Unified Storage, available through our
  distribution partners, Arrow and Avnet.
• Scholarship Program:
  HDS will extend this program later this year with ‘Just For You’ training. This
  on-demand learning approach builds on existing skills and expertise to
  deliver the right training at the right time to make customer facing
  interactions more productive. Since 2011, the TrueNorth program has
  been providing all training to partners at no cost. In the past year, hundreds
  of partners have taken thousands of training courses ensuring they have
  knowledge on the latest solution designs and implementations.
• Partner Incentives:
  This new global partner reward structure includes incentive rebates to partners
  for HDS solutions and offerings. Competency-based rebates are available for
  partners who have specialized delivery and integration skills supporting
  Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP).
• Account Segmentation: HDS is continuing the tradition of partner-centric
  selling, broadening TrueNorth Partner engagement, which includes further
  clarity regarding end user account strategies, potential participation in named
  HDS accounts, and leadership in non-named accounts in North America. Account
  segmentation will increase the number of sales and service accounts for TrueNorth Partners, enabling greater business building and profit growth
  opportunities.
• Integrated Hitachi Converged
  Solutions from Avnet: As an Authorized Integration Partner, Avnet
  Technology Solutions now offers Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) Select
  for VMware vSphere with Cisco Unified Computing System as an integrated
  solution to the North American market. Using industry components from HDS, this
  pre-configured, integrated solution features the Hitachi Virtual
  Storage Platform (VSP), in a simple, flexible and cost-effective converged
  solution.
• First Call Support Program for Hitachi
  UCP Select for VMware vSphere with Cisco UCS: Longtime TrueNorth
  partner Datalink Corp. was selected for its converged infrastructure support
  expertise to deploy an inaugural support program with its OneCall support
  centers in North America. Datalink can now perform all implementation and
  support services for Hitachi UCP Select for VMware vSphere with Cisco UCS and
  Hitachi VSP. This new program is being used to confirm the viability and
  requirements needed for expansion of the First Call program in the near future.

"HDS partners are a strategic and
critical component of our ability to help customers increase efficiency and flexibility
in their IT infrastructures," said Mike Walkey, SVP, global partners
and alliances, HDS. "These new
enhancements usher in the next generation of our partner program and affirm our
commitment to continuing to invest and improve the way we team with our
partners."

"With deep expertise across the server, storage, network technologies, 2
U.S.-based support centers, and data center optimization best practices,
Datalink has proven itself as a converged data center leader. Datalink’s
design, implementation, support, and ongoing management of Hitachi UCP Select
for VMware vSphere with Cisco UCS and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform
infrastructures will help organizations realize the full benefits these
industry-leading solutions have to offer," said Shawn O’Grady, EVP of field
services, Datalink Corporation.

"Providing supplier-based services for resellers to leverage aligns
directly with Avnet’s solutions distribution strategy. Our participation in the
Hitachi TrueNorth Partner Program provides an ideal combination of value-based
rewards and access to new solutions and services that enable Avnet to continue
to help our partners meet customer requirements, distinguish themselves from
the competition, and accelerate their growth through increased market share,"
said Randy Wright, VP and GM for the HDS group, Avnet Technology Solutions (Avnet, Inc.),
Americas.

The TrueNorth Partner Program has a longstanding history of success,
including a 2013 Data Center 100 win, a 2012 Storage Vendor of the Year win and
most recently being named to CRN‘s Five Star Partner Program Guide for 2013.