Intel To Bundle Symantec Backup Exec With Servers, Motherboards

Intel is distributing Symantec's Backup Exec 2010 data protection software to its system builder partners as part of the Intel Enabled Solutions Acceleration Alliance program.

System builders who purchase an Intel server or server motherboard through any of the vendor's distributors will be able to also purchase Backup Exec 2010 at a competitive price, said David Brown, director of marketing for Intel's Enterprise Platform Services division.

Starting next month, system builders will be able to purchase one of nine versions of Backup Exec 2010 with Intel servers and motherboards, including versions for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Small Business Server, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL, Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, and others, Brown said. They are all full versions of the software.

Intel is offering Symantec's Backup Exec 2010 software as a way to provide its system builder partners a one-stop shop for a variety of hardware and software at a discount, Brown said. However, he declined to specify the price, only saying that Intel is offering "competitive pricing."

"I can't promise it will be the cheapest for partners," he said. "It depends on the distributor. But based on our agreement with Symantec, it's a very competitive offering."

Next: Focused On Smaller System Builders

Symantec's Backup Exec is one of the storage industry's best-selling data protection applications for Windows environments.

Todd Swank, vice president of marketing at Nor-Tech, a Burnsville, Minn.-based system builder, said that Intel, by offering such software with its motherboards and systems, shows it is really focused on smaller system builders.

"If you are a smaller system builder, getting good discounts is hard," Swank said. "By negotiating contracts with larger ISVs, Intel helps us compete better with larger server companies like IBM, HP, and Dell."

Intel has offered Symantec anti-virus software in the past to its system builders. However, the vendor recently acquired Symantec competitor McAfee, and has yet to state how it will work with the channel on the security side.

Swank said that the deal with Symantec to resell Backup Express was probably made before Intel's acquisition of McAfee. "These kind of deals take time," he said.