Sun Microsystems is shuffling around some things around the StorageTek division by switching from Bell Microproducts to Arrow Electronics’ MOCA division to move its product.
Effective on February 1, the agreement with StorageTek enables MOCA’s enterprise reseller partners to implement information lifecycle management strategies for their customers through StorageTek’s full line of products and solutions designed to protect and manage business-critical information. To support the new line and drive sales, Arrow will add incremental business development, sales, and marketing resources.
“This partnership brings significant opportunities to MOCA’s partners and strengthens their ability to sell storage off the Sun platform,” said Kevin Powell, vice president, business development, Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions.
“Sun and StorageTek are honored to have Arrow’s MOCA division join our Sun StorageTek partner community,” said Mark Miller, senior manager, Storage Distribution Sales, Sun Microsystems. “With our proven expertise in the storage market and Arrow’s experience as a global distributor, we are able to deepen our commitment to this growing market.”
The big beef for many of the VARs comes from the MOCA’s inexperience dealing with StorageTek products. Critics charge Sun’s not paying attention to their channels and it could hurt them.
CRN quoted Mark Graham of Indianapolis-based Network Storage, “We buy StorageTek from Avnet because MOCA doesn’t know StorageTek. They do high-end servers. I give Sun credit for sticking it out there and saying it’s black and white, but they’re making a mistake if they don’t consider where people buy from. There are more reasons to do business with a distributor than that they carry a product line. It’s not easy for a business to switch distributors.”
While MOCA has made assurances this won’t change the quality of service, if they are unfamiliar with the products, then one can only expect a lapse in service, at least for a little while.
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John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
