VMware (VMW) has granted its coveted Premier Partner status to cStor, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based data center specialist with a particular focus in virtualization—only the second partner in the state to attain that designation with the virtualization vendor. Phoenix-based IT Partners is the other Premier-level VMware partner in Arizona.

To gain VMware Premier status, cStor said it had to demonstrate technical expertise in infrastructure virtualization, desktop virtualization, business continuity and disaster recovery, in addition to meeting sales and certification levels associated with that level of solution provider.

"We are proud we have been able to help so many customers use virtualization with VMware to save costs, automate their data centers and build private and hybrid cloud solutions," said Larry Gentry, cStor president and chief operating officer.

Premier partner is VMware’s go-to designation for solution providers delivering the most comprehensive hosting services leveraging VMware vCloud technology. Accordingly, those partners earn the highest benefit levels and sales and marketing support from VMware, including the most demonstration software and internal use licensing, a dedicated account manager and priority listing on the VMware Partner Locator.

cStor, which maintains practices in unified computing and converged infrastructure, data storage infrastructure, application acceleration, cloud, IT-as-a-service and virtualization, and backup and recovery, offers customers a variety of managed, optimization and IT consulting services, according to the company.

The solution provider, whose customer focus extends to SMBs, cited an Aberdeen Group study that found SMBs using server virtualization, such as VMware's cloud-based solution delivered by cStor, were able to reduce deployment time for new applications by more than 53 percent with an increase in system reliability and a downturn in application downtime by some 30 percent. In addition, SMBs lowered expenses through less IT spending and reduced energy costs even though their storage and processing needs increased by 32 percent on average.

cStor’s customer roster includes independent oil refiner Western Refinining, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Tucson Electric Power and Medicis pharmaceuticals, according to the company’s website.