Arrow, Intel Team Up For Converged Infrastructure Push

The enterprise IT distributor Monday announced a new strategic alliance with Intel to provide dedicated resources and enhanced support to solution providers around x86 servers for converged infrastructure opportunities. As part of the alliance, Arrow plans to launch what it calls the "x86 Influencer Program" to help VARs deliver Intel-based infrastructure solutions in North America.

"We've spent a lot of time looking for ways to increase our investments and effort in the converged infrastructure space," said Mark Taylor, vice president of Enterprise Servers, Systems and Software at Arrow. "This will help us better coordinate the efforts of Intel, the resellers and ourselves at a local level."

[Related: Arrow's Empower Program Looks At Data Center Convergence, Services ]

Through its Empower program, which focuses on emerging growth areas like converged infrastructure, big data and business intelligence, Arrow will offer Intel-focused pre-sales engineering support, demand generation services and technical education as part of the alliance.

In addition, the distributor will provide specialized integration services around Intel-based systems from IBM and HP to help VARs construct converged infrastructure solutions. Taylor said these services, which include live or virtual proof-of-concepts and post-sales implementation assistance, will help solution providers deliver converged infrastructure stacks faster. "You don't want to build a car, for example, in front of the customer," Taylor said. "It's not about assembling the converged infrastructure; it's about deploying it quickly. And this program is designed to speed up that deployment so that partners can focus on other areas up the value chain."

Arrow said it has made a "significant investment" in the Intel partnership and converged infrastructure push. Taylor said the addition of Intel will help Arrow and its VAR customers better leverage the opportunity around converged infrastructure, a business that he says is growing. "We're starting to see converged infrastructure get a lot more traction," Taylor said. "You can clearly see, quarter over quarter, an increased engagement around it."

PUBLISHED SEPT. 23, 2013