Avnet Introduces FSA One Frameworks, Joins Forces With NetApp

Written by Channel
October 13, 2015

Avnet will provide FSA One Frameworks, that arms solution provider partners in the U.S. and Canada with a high-velocity sales motion for quoting and shipping a family of pre-validated, pre-integrated FlexPod configurations.

PRESS RELEASE – NetApp Insight 2015 – LAS VEGAS – October 13, 2015 – Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a leading global technology distributor, today announced FSA One Frameworks™, co-developed with Cisco and NetApp to accelerate the adoption of converged infrastructure solutions. Avnet will provide FSA One Frameworks, a collaborative new exclusive offering that arms solution provider partners in the U.S. and Canada with a high-velocity sales motion for quoting and shipping a family of pre-validated, pre-integrated FlexPod™ configurations.

FSA (FlexPod Services by Avnet) One Frameworks is a new set of pre-configured and packaged integrated infrastructure racks that combine products and services from Cisco, NetApp and Avnet based on popular customer configurations. These racks will benefit channel partners in a host of new ways, including:

Faster, simpler sales motion, faster quoting, faster shipping and easier purchase request responses.
Complete solution registration for partners, which can lead to larger deals and better account alignment.
Aggressive, simplified pricing via automatic price variance requests (PVRs).
New, more-structured options for selling FlexPod, opening additional vertical market opportunities.
One point of contact, quote and invoice for the full solution stack, simplifying partner engagement with Avnet.

“FSA One Frameworks will be a real boost to Avnet’s partners in terms of delivery and positive customer experience,” said Phillip Privett, vice president of Avnet’s Cisco^® solutions business. “Our Cisco solutions team is proud to be associated with this new offering – it’s really a whole new way to take FlexPod to market – and our partner resellers will realize a faster, easier sales motion.”

“FlexPod Services by Avnet was initially introduced to our partner community in May 2011, and FSA One Frameworks is a value-added extension of that original offering,” said Jim Kebert, vice president of Avnet’s NetApp^® solutions business. “Avnet’s NetApp solutions team stands ready to serve our partner community in providing their customers with faster returns on their investments through the benefits of pre-assembled configurations, accelerated deployment and the reduced risk that comes with pre-validated architectures.”

FlexPod is a portfolio of prevalidated, integrated infrastructure solutions that combine Cisco UCS integrated infrastructure and NetApp storage components. FlexPod simplifies and modernizes IT with continuous innovation, delivering unmatched application performance, the broadest support for any cloud strategy, and improved operational efficiency to accelerate data center transformation and business evolution. FlexPod-powered solutions use complementary partner technology to extend the value of FlexPod investments.

“Through our ongoing collaboration, Cisco and Avnet have consistently delivered value to the IT channel, and FSA One Frameworks is our latest example,” said Andrew Sage, vice president, Americas Distribution, Global Partner Organization, Cisco. “FlexPods are now …

… easier than ever to quote, ship and deploy, affording channel partners faster time to revenue and their customers faster time to value.”

“NetApp welcomes Avnet’s leadership in making FlexPod even easier for the channel community to take to market and solve demanding customer challenges,” said Maria Olson, vice president, Global and Strategic Alliances, NetApp. “FSA One Frameworks is an innovative way to quickly and efficiently deliver proven technology across all layers of the stack.”

Avnet partners can learn more about FSA One Frameworks at the NetApp Insight 2015 conference in Las Vegas, October 12-15, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Avnet representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information. Avnet is one of NetApp’s largest professional services delivery partners in North America.

Also this week, Avnet announced that it is joining forces with NetApp^® to provide migration services to support its U.S. and Canadian partners and their end users in their transition to the NetApp^® clustered Data ONTAP^® operating system. NetApp’s clustered Data ONTAP software is the foundation for Data Fabric, which allows customers to seamlessly manage their data and leverage the best of cloud, flash and disk resources. Avnet’s new offering provides a competitive differentiator for their partners.

“Only Avnet offers a turnkey migration solution relying on its depth and breadth of certified clustered Data ONTAP engineers for this critical crossover in NetApp operating systems – across all market segments,” said ‎Jim Kebert, vice president of Avnet’s NetApp solutions business. “Our program provides complete upgrade and support, including full installation, advanced configuration and data migration, optional transition-easing swing gear, and operational training for our NetApp partners and their end customers.”

Avnet’s clustered Data ONTAP turnkey migration program provides complete upgrade and support and includes the following:

Full installation, including advanced configuration and data migration
Operational training, with access to the clustered Data ONTAP operational support hotline
Swing gear, an option, to make the switch-over easy on operations
Asset disposition, utilizing Avnet’s Sales Return Authorization (SRA) program.

Avnet also offers a “baseline” migration program as a lower-cost option to assist customers that have internal technical capabilities to perform a portion of the migration activity.

“NetApp clustered Data ONTAP is the foundation for the modern data center, allowing customers to …

… protect their existing investments and take full advantage of new all-flash and cloud technologies,” said Bill Lipsin, vice president, Worldwide Channels for NetApp. “The broad range of transition services Avnet offers will help partners and end users leverage all the benefits of Data ONTAP to speed innovation and prepare for a future where the cloud is core to their IT strategy.”

“Our business depends on NetApp technology, and we look forward to transitioning our customers to clustered Data ONTAP with the help of Avnet,” said Tom DeCoster, vice president of service solutions at CDW, an Avnet partner. “Avnet provides the technical expertise and pre-packaged solution with everything we need to help drive our NetApp migration services business and continue to grow our revenue while our customers continue to benefit from NetApp’s latest solutions.”

Avnet will be demonstrating the latest version of NetApp’s clustered Data ONTAP operating system at the NetApp Insight 2015 conference in Las Vegas, October 12-15, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Avnet representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information. A highlight of this year’s Insight conference will be Avnet receiving the NetApp Insight 2015 Professional Services Certified (PSC) Partner Award. In winning this award, Avnet has not only become PSC-certified, but has completed the requirements for clustered Data ONTAP Acceleration Program (cTAP) eligibility and has developed go-to-market strategies to help them, as well as their reseller customers, accelerate clustered Data ONTAP transitions. Avnet has been exceedingly responsive in taking the initiative to build services offerings that will enable their resellers to sell more transitions services that can be serviced by Avnet. Avnet is one of NetApp’s largest professional services delivery partners in North America and has sent a large number of engineers to clustered Data ONTAP transition training to provide transition services. Avnet’s Jim Kebert will be accepting the PSC partner award on behalf of Avnet on October 14.

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About Avnet, Inc.
From components to cloud and design to disposal, Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) accelerates the success of customers who build, sell and use technology globally by providing them with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative products, services and solutions. Avnet is a Fortune 500 company with revenues of $27.9 billion for the fiscal year 2015. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.