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Cisco and VMware to Accelerate Data Center Virtualization Opportunities for Channel Partners

Cisco and VMware to Accelerate Data Center Virtualization Opportunities for Channel Partners

Initiative Provides New Program Benefits for Partners Delivering Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Cisco Partner Summit – April 28, 2010 – Building on a shared vision of data center virtualization for enabling customers to build private clouds, Cisco and VMware (NYSE: VMW) today announced the expansion of  the companies’ relationship with the launch of a comprehensive channel partner acceleration initiative.

Targeting mutual channel partners that are Cisco data center specialized and authorized to resell VMware solutions, the initiative includes a wide range of new benefits, including solutions training, solution bundles, financial incentives, funding for virtualization assessments, online demo labs, market enablement and financing.   The initiative will help solution providers derive greater value for their investment in Cisco and VMware technologies by simplifying the delivery of a complete architecture with the industry-leading Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™.  The integrated solution will help to reduce datacenter complexity, lower costs and enable a more flexible, agile IT service delivery model.

Empowering Mutual Cisco and VMware Channel Partners

  • The initiative is designed to help channel partners accelerate the adoption of data center virtualization for customers:
    • It will enable channel partners to pursue incremental revenue and profit opportunities through enhanced virtualization systems, software and services sales.
    • It will also align channel partners with key technology trends and thought leadership, including private cloud computing, virtualization, unified fabric, and data center architectures.
  • Training: Joint Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere online solutions training will be offered at no cost to channel partners worldwide. All Cisco channel partners can participate in this training and will be able to sell VMware vSphere™ with no additional VMware certification required.
  • Special Bundled Offering: By the end of May 2010, a new bundled solution offering will be available at a special discount that includes the Cisco Unified Computing System C250, the Cisco Nexus 1000V distributed virtual software switch and VMware vSphere™.
  • Virtualization Assessments: From May 2010 through July 2010, Cisco DCNI Specialized channel partners in the United States and Canada will be eligible to receive a reimbursement for pre-approved Cisco and VMware virtualization assessments.
  • Demo Equipment: Beginning in April 2010, the new Cisco Unified Computing System Demo Equipment Program will be available for partners in the United States. This program will be expanded globally by the end of May 2010. This program will enable partners to obtain Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™ at a discounted price from Cisco.
  • Demand Generation and Marketing Benefits: The initiative will provide customizable campaign tools, including seminars in a box, ongoing lead generation, and follow-up and qualification campaigns.
  • Online Demo Labs: Beginning in May 2010, partners will have online access to demonstration labs that feature Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere solutions operating over a unified fabric. The online demo labs complement the online training that partners will receive.
  • Cisco Capital Financing: Financing is available from Cisco for purchases of Cisco Unified Computing System with VMware vSphere™.

Reduced Cost, Improved Performance and Simplicity

  • Cisco and VMware are combining their best-of-breed solutions to create an industry-leading platform for virtualizing data centers and enabling cloud computing:
    • Designed as a radically simplified, stateless system, the Cisco Unified Computing System has fewer components to purchase, configure, manage, maintain, power, and cool — leading to increased business agility, greater return on investment, and lower total cost of ownership.
    • VMware vSphere™ is the industry's most robust and powerful virtualization platform to build and deploy a cloud infrastructure, increase control through service-level automation and pool resources to deliver IT as a Service (ITaaS). VMware vSphere dramatically reduces capital and operating costs and maximizes IT efficiency while giving you agility through automation and the freedom to choose applications, OS and hardware.

Supporting Quotes:

Ralph Nimergood, vice president, Worldwide Partner Organization, Cisco: “The Cisco and VMware relationship focuses on delivering solutions that help customers on their journey to building private clouds that deliver IT as a service. The launch of this initiative will serve as a catalyst with our mutual channel partner community to capitalize on and accelerate the market transition toward data center virtualization and private clouds.

Gary Green, vice president, Global Strategic Alliances, VMware: "VMware vSphere™ and Cisco Unified Computing System comprise an innovative solution that helps customers accelerate their journey to the private cloud. This new initiative will help our mutual channel partners deliver solutions that enable faster time to value for customers while lowering costs.”

Tony Balistrieri, vice president, Partner Strategy, FusionStorm: “Cisco and VMware are strategic partners for FusionStorm, delivering complementary technologies that help our customers maximize their IT investments while building the foundation for cloud computing. We’re excited about this new channel partner initiative because it will help us accelerate data center virtualization projects for customers.”

Bart Falzarano, vice president of IT Infrastructure, the Walz Group: "The Cisco Unified Computing System with VMware vSphere™ solution dramatically simplifies the deployment process for our organization. With fewer components to purchase, configure, manage, maintain, power, and cool, processes that would take days before now take us minutes. It's a business imperative for us to simplify our data center infrastructure, while maximizing virtualization benefits."

Kirk Skaugen, vice president, Intel Architecture Group, general manager, Data Center Group:  "Intel continues to be a proud partner in taking the journey to unified computing with Cisco and VMware.  The Cisco Unified Computing System, powered by the latest virtualization technologies included in the Intel® Xeon® 5600 and 7500 series, delivers leading virtualization performance and innovation to their customers."

Technorati Tags: Cisco Unified Computing System, UCS, Data Center, Virtualization

Supporting Resources:

About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About VMware

VMware delivers solutions for business infrastructure virtualization that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes. With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere™ – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2009 revenues of $2.9 billion, more than 170,000 customers and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization which consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com.


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