Ingram Micro Demos HP BladeSystem Matrix Solution

The new solution was set up by the distributor as a way to help demonstrate HP's BladeSystem Matrix and how it works with Ingram Micro's HP Cloud Center of Excellence, said Scott Zahl, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's Advanced Computing division.

HP's Cloud Center of Excellence allow its partners to transform their facilities into cloud demonstration sites running on HP infrastructure. HP is currently working with partners to build 20 Cloud Centers of Excellence, with 18 more committed over the next three months.

Ingram Micro this week already started using its BladeSystem Matrix solution to train its first class of 22 solution providers, Zahl said. "They were spending a few days on provisioning, configuring, and using the solution," he said.

Ingram Micro has configured its BladeSystem Matrix solution to serve as a private cloud demo, said Fran Murello, senior manager and engineer for the distributor.

It includes all the networking and management virtualization technology related to BladeSystem Matrix, as well as EVA 4400 storage and HP's ProCurve Networking technology, Murello said.

Mark Maisano, senior director of Ingram Micro's Advanced Computing division, said the new solution expands the learning possibilities for HP solution providers and extends those possibilities to their customers.

"We're doing one-on-one meetings with partners to talk about TCO (total cost of ownership), efficiencies, and cutting costs," Maisano said. "And we're doing webinars with them and their customers who are looking to do more with the technology in the enterprise."

Ingram Micro hopes to build a similar BladeSystem Matrix solution in its Santa Ana, Calif. headquarters' demo center.

Steve Burke and Kevin McLaughlin contributed to this article.