101 Data Solutions appears in SearchStorage.co.uk web site profiling the challenges of selecting the right partner for storage solutions.

Storage solution providers, or value-added resellers (VARs) are essential partners for some IT organisations and most companies are likely to employ the services of a data storage reseller at one stage or another. The key thing for the customer is to select the right partner and to manage them effectively.

While most vendors are keen to maintain direct relationships with their biggest customers, many simply do not have the in-house resources to cater to the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

As a result, smaller accounts are likely to deal almost exclusively with resellers, while medium-sized firms may experience a “co-selling model.” This is when vendors jointly sell into and manage their customer accounts with solution provider partners that provide local market expertise and are the first port of call in times of trouble.

The pros of working with storage solution providers

One of the key advantages of working with a reseller is that they can supplement, complement or augment existing in-house storage skills.

“Anyone buying any kind of storage should seek the help that they need because it requires specialised skills, and resellers are a good method of getting that,” said Pete Hooper, IT and production manager at Somerset cheese producer Wyke Farms.

Although Hooper looks after IT at the company, his main role is production management, which means that “there’s not always time to look for the best solution,” he noted. Resellers can help customers invest in the right products to fulfill their requirements while also providing support should any problems arise.

Wyke Farms employed local partner 101 Data Solutions to install a 12 TB Overland Snap Server SAN at its headquarters, swiftly followed by a second at its packaging facility for disaster recovery (DR) purposes and to store data generated from 20 high-definition CCTV cameras. It has also signed an annual support agreement with the reseller.

Read more of this article on Search Storage.co.uk

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