INX, a large systems integrator based in Houston, is likely the first of Cisco Systems’ global network of data center specialty companies to launch headlong into Cisco’s new unified computing systems by hosting a multicity event around the virtualized blade server architecture.

Just a day after Cisco took the wraps off its unified computing system architecture and strategy, INX announced it will host information events in Boston, Seattle and Los Angeles to provide end users with deeper insights into the Cisco vision for virtualized data centers.

INX will host the events in conjunction and collaboration with industry partners Cisco Systems, VMware and NetApp. The events will be called “One Architecture, Three Industry Leaders.”

“Cisco's vision is for a new method of data center architecture that will fuse network, storage and virtualized server computing technology into a unified technology infrastructure architecture that is more environmentally friendly, and which will result in substantially improved performance and cost savings,” said James Long, chairman and CEO of INX, in a statement.


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INX is among limited number of data center oriented solution providers Cisco is partnering with on the launch of the unified computing systems architecture. There are only 250 data center systems integrators globally participating in the program. Cisco says it will add more solution providers to the program as customer demand increases.

“While INX intends to offer Cisco's new server products, INX's opportunity is really much more than simply selling server products; our opportunity is to be a leading provider of the entire solution, integrating the technology from the leading manufacturers of data center networking, storage and virtualized server technology into a virtualized data center solution for our customer, the end result of which is Unified Computing," Long added.

INX sees Cisco’s unified computing architecture as an extension and evolution of the Cisco data center Nexus switching solutions it currently offers. INX, a publicly traded systems integrator with nearly $200 million in annual revenue, says its data center and virtualization business grew more than 140 percent in 2008 without blade servers as part of the solution.

“INX has already been architecting and delivering the building blocks of these types of advanced solutions to our customers,” says Steve Kaplan, vice president of data center virtualization at INX. “Our early Nexus data center switch technology experience and success, and our substantial experience providing data center virtualization consulting, positions INX well to further enhance our leadership in architecting and delivering virtualized data center solutions."

The first event will be held in Boston on March 31. Seattle will host the second event on April 21. And the final event will be in Los Angeles on April 22.