Hyper-Converged Startup NIMBOXX Branches Out By Acquiring Virtual Bridges' VDI Business

Hyper-converged infrastructure vendor NIMBOXX earlier this week said it has acquired the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) business of Virtual Bridges, which it's planning to use to attract new customers.

"For hyper-converged infrastructure, virtual desktop is a common use case," Trent Fitz, chief marketing officer for NIMBOXX, Austin, Texas, told CRN in an interview Friday.

NIMBOXX decided to acquire Virtual Bridges' VERDE VDI technology because both it and the NIMBOXX hyper-converged infrastructure technologies are based on the open source KVM project, Fitz said.

Furthermore, the VERDE technology comes with other components of use to NIMBOXX, including role-based access control and storage optimization technology for branch and multi-site deployments, said Fitz.

As an added bonus, Virtual Bridges is also based in Austin, said Fitz. "We have a long relationship with them. We were finally able to do a deal," he said.

[Related: Hyper-Converged Startup Nimboxx Exits Stealth With New Appliance, $12M In Funding]

Both NIMBOXX and Virtual Bridges do their business primarily via channel partners, Fitz said. NIMBOXX has about 50 channel partners, mainly in North America, and counts Synnex as its primary distributor, he said.

Virtual Bridges' VERDE VDI technology has been one of the most channel-friendly offerings, said Kevin Casey, owner of BizCarta, a Dublin, Ohio-based MSP and Virtual Bridges channel partner.

"Virtual Bridges really gets the channel," Casey told CRN. "The company has been communicative and honest. It conveys bad news with the same enthusiasm it does good news. And I hope NIMBOXX carries forward the same vision."

Casey said BizCarta worked with VERDE for about 15 months, and combines it with the managed desktop services of Moka5, Casey said.

"We've found Virtual Bridges form a solutions and engineering perspective to be a dream to work with," he said. "For instance, a fairly large bank in Latin America had a complex desktop image solution running on antiquated machines with limited memory. I can't say how many times we talked to Virtual Bridges engineers to make it work."

Casey said he has already told NIMBOXX that margins are important to partners of all sizes, and that continued success with the VERDE VDI solution hinges on keeping margins up for partners who carry the company's banner.

"It will also help if NIMBOXX provides professional services exclusively through channel partners," he said. "Virtual Bridges did."

Fitz declined to discuss financial deals of NIMBOXX's Virtual Bridges acquisition.

NIMBOXX, which came out of stealth mode less than a year ago, is not profitable or cash-flow positive, but it is well-funded with investments in the company so far totaling over $12 million, Fitz said.