Why the Wire Matters
The channel is going through a transformation. VARs can’t just resell hardware anymore; they need to offer services and solutions that deliver unique value to their customers. VARs must think more strategically about the products they sell and how they can address end user challenges.
VARs readily understand strategic thinking when offering complex enterprise applications, but hardware is a different story. Say a customer communicates a need for a VDI infrastructure. The VAR chooses a server platform, a software application and networking equipment, like 10-gigabit Ethernet gear, to support it. However, when the VAR chooses hardware without thinking strategically, it misses out on an opportunity to add value, differentiate itself and provide more compelling solutions to customers.
Take Ethernet connectivity as an example. Ethernet I/O adapters, or network interface cards (NICs), as they are sometimes called, are usually given very little thought in terms of the overall solution. Years ago there was little choice in Ethernet cards, but today there are many NICs to choose from for different applications. For example, there are high-end and low-end Ethernet NICs, standard NICs, and enterprise-level NICs that offer offload, FCoE and iSCSI over Ethernet. Knowing these options and considering them allows VARs to offer customers capabilities they didn’t know they could get before.
Why does the Ethernet wire matter? Because when data moves from an application to where it’s going, the Ethernet NIC touches that data. The NIC can make data go faster or slower. It can support multiple protocols on the same wire. It can manipulate the data to make it more relevant to the application layer. Today, Ethernet can offer intelligence that enables customers to put more virtual machines on a wire or back up data over long distances.
The Pipe Matters
Whether it’s 1-gig or 10-gig Ethernet, the pipe matters. If you choose the right Ethernet I/O adapter, it will allow you to support more virtual machines, simplify your cabling infrastructure and deliver higher performance. Advanced NICs also offer network partitioning–the ability to carve up the Ethernet pipe into lots of smaller pipes to service application needs. For example, one pipe could be used for Vmotion, one for backup and one for file access. An Ethernet pipe can run standard Ethernet traffic or it can run iSCSI and FCoE storage traffic. With the right NIC, you can implement quality of service on the pipe so certain types of apps have guaranteed delivery.
The market for Ethernet NICs has exploded in the past couple of years as companies compete to offer unique management and performance features. Understanding Ethernet NIC technology enables VARs to consider a NIC’s specific capabilities when matching it up with customer need. When a VAR believes that the wire matters, the reseller can become an I/O consultant who builds differentiation and adds value to the overall solution by enabling new features and benefits for the customer. So, instead of viewing NICs as an afterthought, VARs should consider them a key component of overall customer success.
Ryan Klein is the senior director, Americas sales, QLogic. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of The VAR Guy's annual platinum sponsorship.
