Toronto-based NEVEX Virtual Technologies has announced the launch of its Channel Partnership Program to assist in selling its application-optimized caching solution, Cacheworks.
NEVEX is a startup which recently announced its flagship CacheWorks 1.0 product. But the team behind it is an experienced one, which has worked at four successful startups over the last 20 years. Nevex’s objective is to solve the storage I/O bottleneck that limits how fast an application can talk to I/O storage through an innovative approach to Flash caching while enabling better utilization of both VM and physical storage infrastructures.
“Slow application performance from I/O bottleneck is typically solved in two ways,” said Andrew Flint, Product Manager at NEVEX. ” One is tuning applications to get incremental boost in performance, and the other is upgrading servers, which gets a performance boost from the additional memory.”
Flint said NEVEX is able to improve on these solutions and stand out from the competition in this space because they sell a software solution that manages devices on Flash.
“It gets higher performance and because it’s local on a server, there is less latency,” he said. “This combination of more performance from Flash, and lower latency from storing locally, is what solves the I/O bottleneck.
“Our competitors come from a storage background — hardware type people — and think from a hardware perspective,” Flint added. “We take it from the side of the application, which is protected in our cache and that is industry unique. Our unique architecture delivers selective optimized caching. That sets us apart from the other players. The way our cache is implemented gives us an unfair competitive advantage.”
Unlike most start-ups, NEVEX plans to move quickly to a channel model.
“All of the team’s different startups started in missionary direct sales and then moved quickly to the channel,” Flint said.
“Our objective is to build out a channel of distributors and VARs who have a relationship with datacenter people, which is our target market,” said Nigel Miller, NEVEX’s VP Business Development. “We are looking at specific VARs who do business level applications, data optimization, virtualization, and server and storage infrastructure. They should have a product or service offering based on Windows and using SQL server, so we are tapping into the Microsoft partner network.
“We want VARs with the ear and trust of companies, and who sell into SMB space as well as midmarket and enterprise,” Miller said. “The solution has special value in the enterprise because you don’t have to upgrade all your servers to get performance.”
At this stage, NEVEX is offering an Early Adopter Program, available now through to end-Q4, which includes special pricing and incentives, and sales and technical support. NEVEX’s pricing model is per server, and their plan is to offer the channel 35% gross margins.”
“We have about 20 core partners targeted, and plan to roll out the full program early next year, with details to be finalized based on their needs,” Miller said.
Miller thinks the team’s past experience and channel relationships will overcome the typical channel reluctance to invest in a product right out of the gate.
“Our solution is unique, but this is also not our first time on the block, as we have built channel programs in the past,” he said.
A distribution deal is also expected for next year. Miller said they have had discussions with both broadline distributors and VADs but nothing has yet been finalized.
Source:http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=27323
