Earlier this year, as we were getting ready to launch our extraordinary Dell Partner Program, I talked about how Distribution would be instrumental to our collective success. We’re just one quarter in to the new program, but we’ve already placed several big bets on our Distribution Partners, such as streamlining the process of providing Solution Provider leads to our Distribution Partners and relying on them to onboard net-new Partners. Distribution Partners reciprocated our trust and commitment, and the results have been phenomenal.
Today, I’m excited to share the next big bet that we’re placing on our Distribution Partners to help them be even more successful. I’ll also list some areas where I see significant Distribution opportunity in the near future. Let’s start with the news.
A Dell First: A Distribution-Exclusive Product
Today we’re announcing a first for Dell – a Dell product to be available to customers exclusively through Distribution Partners. Beginning this month in North America, EMEA and APJ, the Dell Networking X-Series Products will only be available to customers and partners through our Distribution Partners. By the end of 2017, all regions will follow this Distribution-exclusive model for the Dell Networking X-Series products. Additionally, as of today in North America, APJ and EMEA, all Dell Networking X-Series business has shifted to the channel. By the end of 2017, X-Series products will only be available via Solution Providers worldwide.
By offering X-Series as a Distribution-exclusive product, we are demonstrating our commitment and investment in channel growth for the Dell Infrastructure Solutions business. I expect this to be a big win for our Distributors and the Dell Networking business, helping forge new relationships with partners who may have previously purchased directly from Dell, and motivating others who may be looking for a door opener into our award winning and Gartner visionary product line.
The Dell Networking X-Series family of products.
The Dell Networking X-Series is a family of smart, web-managed 1GbE and 10GbE switches designed for SMBs who crave enterprise-class network control fused with consumer-like ease. It offers:
- Sleek, intuitive management with a revolutionary graphical user interface (GUI) for ease of setup and actionable monitoring.
- Enterprise-class features including providing power to wireless access points, phones, cameras, compact switches and other network devices directly from the network with Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+) switches.
- Models to fit a variety of needs, featuring compact eight-port models for flexible surface top, wall, or ceiling mounting choices.
The Dell Infrastructure Solutions Group represents a huge growth area for our Solution Providers, especially as we continue to promote cross-selling across both the Client and Infrastructure portfolios. Plus, the X-Series lends itself well to stocking, one of the many value-added services our Distributors offer.
More details on the Dell Networking X-Series can be found online and in the Partner Portal.
The Immense Distribution Opportunity
At Global Partner Summit and over the past few months, I’ve had a chance to sit down with many of our Distribution Partners. I’ve heard a lot of enthusiasm around the breadth of the Dell and Dell portfolio, and collective opportunity before us. Dell and Dell issued a whopping 15 press releases at Dell World – a testament to the incredible innovation happening behind the scenes. In addition to our exciting X-Series news, there are several other announcements that present massive opportunity to our Distribution Partners, including Dell PowerEdge 14th Generation Servers, Dell XC430 Xpress, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Commercial Solutions Group (CSG) Incumbency, and New Flexible Consumption Models.
I’ve also been hearing a lot of excitement around the Distribution Program benefits, structure, and rollout. We’re proud of that, but we’re not slowing down. There is still work to be done. Our Distribution Partners are crucial to our continued growth and market leadership. We will continue to place big bets on our Distribution Partners in the future, and look forward to continuing the momentum that we’ve built so far.
