IBM Expands Education, Support for Raid Storage Resellers

IBM announced a set of programs designed to qualify eligible value-added resellers (VARs) as Certified Mylex Partners (CMP), enhancing the skills, support levels and sales promotions in the reseller channel for IBM’s ProFibre Storage Array and Mylex RAID product lines.

The new CMP program includes Mylex University hands-on RAID storage instruction and new training programs and support, as well as three levels of participation: Premier Mylex Partner, Certified Mylex Partner, and Registered Mylex Reseller. Among the enhanced offerings are free online product education; an intensive, 3-day hands-on training program; pre-sales and technical support hotlines; expanded local language support; and a qualification program offering discounted prices with a money-back guarantee.

“These programs are targeted directly for the needs of the storage reseller in today’s market,” said Janet Waxman, Director of Systems and Storage Channels and Alliances Research at IDC. “IBM has assembled targeted, complementary programs that back resellers and integrators and help them ensure their customers receive expert service and support.”

At the core of IBM’s expanded reseller education program is Mylex University, which IBM said is an intensive three-day program conducted by IBM field application engineers that delivers classroom instruction and hands-on experience to qualified technical professionals of registered Mylex resellers. The company said students learn in depth the features and benefits of RAID technology, as well as how to recommend, install, configure, and troubleshoot Mylex controllers, ProFibre RAID subsystems and JBOD enclosures, and complementary storage products.