Cisco-VMware push for data centre opportunities

BANGALORE, INDIA: In a drive towards virtualization, Cisco and VMware announced a comprehensive channel partner acceleration initiative that help solution providers derive greater value for their investment in Cisco-VMware capabilities by simplifying the delivery of a complete architecture with the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and VMware vSphere.

Joint Cisco UCS and VMware vSphere online solutions training is being offered to partners following which all Cisco channel partners will be able to sell VMware vSphere without any additional VMware certification.

Besides, beginning from May 2010, channel partners will also have online access to demonstration labs that feature UCS and vSphere solutions operating over a unified fabric.

Financing is also available from Cisco for purchases of Cisco UCS with vSphere.

Talking about this latest initiative at the Cisco Partner Summit 2010 in San Francisco, Ralph Nimergood, VP, Worldwide Partner Organization Cisco said, “The launch of this initiative will serve as a catalyst with our mutual channel partner community to capitalize and accelerate on the market transition towards data center virtualization and private clouds.”

(The author is Executive Editor at Biospectrum and traveled to San Francisco at the invitation of Cisco)