NetApp offers Aussie SMEs storage "gold"

NetApp has introduced a mid-range storage array and dropped the price of an existing model, with channel sales specifically in mind.

NetApp introduced the FAS2040 storage system, which the storage vendor said will provide customers with performance and capacity to handle Microsoft Windows consolidation and virtualisation.

The storage vendor has also updated its FAS2020 unit, with prices starting from $10,500. The product was designed for smaller, price-conscious IT organisations.

Nick Russell, national commercial sales manager at NetApp told CRN the FAS2020 has been updated to offer multiprotocol support, including CIFS and NFS.

"[The 2020] is still an enterprise level box and includes all the bells and whistles of a product for data centre storage," he said.

Russell claimed the price drop won't hurt its channel partner's margins. As long as partners aren't "dropping boxes" they should be able to ensure healthy margins by wrapping the product with services - whether it's "consulting" or bundling it with other products.

"The price drop could be seen as a negative, but it will open the door for integrators at the lower end of the market," he said. "Smaller integrators with the perception that our product is out of their customer's price range, might think again."

Steve Milthorpe, SE manager commercial and government at NetApp said training and certification for these storage units were across the board.

Russell said this allowed a smaller integrator already certified in using FAS2020 to scale up to bigger customers, without having to retrain their staff.

Sydney-based Distribution Central's storage arm - San Systems - has exclusive distribution rights to the storage units in Australia.

Nick Verykios, sales and marketing manager at Distribution Central told CRN that with services, resellers can expect margins of at least 30 points.

"Without [services] it's a street war as this will be a massively popular product," he said.  "The FAS2020 [has] high-end features at a low-end price- from an enterprise player."

Verykios believed there was a huge service opportunity for storage integrators and they could make a lot of money.

"Integrating managed services and virtualisation, while delivering contemporary and responsible storage solutions - it's gold," he said.