LAN Systems grabs exclusive EMC deal

LAN Systems has scored an exclusive distribution agreement with enterprise-cum-SMB storage vendor EMC, in a deal that would potentially catapult its storage sales to 15 percent of its business over the next 18 to 24 months.

Under the arrangement, LAN would move EMC's entry-level CLARiiON AX100 disc array with SAN, NAS and direct-attached capabilities. LAN would also distribute EMC's full range of storage management software.

LAN had an existing arrangement with storage software vendor Legato and was in the process of signing another unnamed storage vendor.

Wendy O'Keeffe, GM at LAN Systems, said the EMC brand gave the distributor a lot of credibility in the storage market and would assist LAN to attract vendors that were complementary to EMC.

LAN was selected based on its approach to the market and "the type of channel that we sell to."

"All customers that we deal with are network-centric - that's the type of customer that EMC is interested in," O'Keeffe said.

Prior to its entry into the SMB market 12 to 18 months ago, EMC didn't have a storage product that was cost-effective, she said. "Now [EMC] have a product that is cost-effective and has the brand name," she said.

David Henderson, GM, partners and alliances for EMC, said LAN's established presence and knowledge of the SMB space was the key strategic fit the company was seeking for its new sole distributor in the market.

LAN would initially offer educating and training events around Australia and the launch of a new reseller partner program that had been created by both companies.

LAN won the deal following a competitive evaluation carried out by EMC. Comstor, LAN's affiliate in Singapore had been moving EMC products for the past three years.

EMC previously had a distribution agreement in place with Express Data. It is believed that this agreement wound down about six months ago.