25
see some real opportunities developments so that we PA: Assuming it is important,
for the business to grow, or is spot innovative technologies does this value-add reassure
1-2-1 SIMON RA
it more a case of making sure early. customers that you want to
that the business remains work with them long term,
healthy until conditions PA: Do your customers want and not simply sell product
improve? to know who it is that you and walk away?
SR: Our plan is for continued work with within the Channel, SR: We build very close
growth in our new financial or are they happy to deal customer relationships and
year, which started on July with, and trust, you alone?(!) consider it to be our job to
1st. We currently see no SR: They trust us to a persuade customers that we
reason to believe we will not significant extent, but as do not “sell product and walk
achieve it. already noted we tend to away”. The result is that we
PA: What would be your deal with large companies so keep customers for a long
number one tip to help a they demand a reasonable time.
customer get the best level of exposure to our
GG
possible ROI in the current vendors PA: Moving forward, with the
economic climate? solutions emphasis discussed
SR: Well the move to PA: What value add do you earlier coming to the fore, do
virtualisation is rapid, think that your distributor you foresee the Channel
acceptance of de-duplication and vendors should bring to model changing, as such
of secondary storage is well the relationship – other than solutions can be provided at
advanced and the economics good technology/products? different stages within the
of vendor management mean SR: The value add of Channel?
that users are already distributors is the longest SR: The use of the channel
focusing on control of the running discussion in the works on a predictable cycle.
number of vendors they deal industry. Frankly all we Very early stage disruptive
with. My own view is that expect is that they deliver technologies tend to be sold
users should start to look at what they say they will direct with system integrator
the ways of reducing the deliver at the time they said support, at the early adopter
storage load of individual key they would deliver, at the stage of the market for a
enterprise applications. How agreed price and we want no product category the channel
can single instancing, thin mistakes – it should result in becomes important in order
provisioning and intelligent trouble free installations. It for vendors to increase reach
ILM help to reduce total might be nice to get more and externalise cost and in
primary storage volumes, than that, but it’s rare. the late majority stage box
their energy consumption and Saying that we do have shifters tend to dominate. I
the amount of CO2 they exceptional relationships with don’t see any change in this
produce. Focus on this last those distributors we use and pattern. Of course some
issue can only increase. work closely with them to vendors will find interesting
develop future pipeline for us ways to extend reach without
PA: How important is the both. the use of a channel but the
relationship between the overall pattern will remain for
business and the other links From vendors we look for the foreseeable future I think.
in the Channel – your best-in-class technology and So for us it is critical that we
distributor and your vendors? marketing support – not continue to identify the
SR: Very important. Staying leads, support for our technology innovators so we
close to vendors is critical, marketing activities focused can constantly offer step
even when the business is on our target market function improvements for
transacted with a distributor. segments – and in general if our customers.
But the real issue for us is we ask for it we get it and
keeping close to the distributors support them www.s3.co.uk
WWW.SNS-UK.CO.UK OCT 09
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