Cloud Storage Provider IceWeb Goes Completely Indirect

IceWeb, a provider of unified data storage and building blocks for cloud storage networks, announced the company has signed a distribution agreement with Promark Technology, a value-added distributor of data storage products and solution. IceWeb called the agreement the final step in proceeding to a 100 percent channel-driven model.

Promark will handle value-added reseller (VAR) onboarding, GSA scheduling and inventory financing for the IceWeb Channel Program (ICP).

Promark uses a two-tier distribution network: selling to VARs and system integrators. Promark supports its distribution channel by offering sales and technical training, trade show and seminar support, leads, and demo equipment. The company also supports its channel with its two-tier GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, which enables Promark to authorize its resellers to sell GSA Schedule products to the government.

Dale Foster, Promark's president, said his company has spent a significant amount of time stress-testing the IceWeb platform and the product met and exceeded all of technical specifications. “We are confident in taking the IceWeb Systems Platform to our value-added resellers,” he said. “I believe that with a few wins under our belt, we will see similar success with IceWeb. I expect the product to gain traction exponentially in the unified data storage and cloud space."

Foster said the goal at Promark is to increase its revenue by $100 million over the next three years. “IceWeb's products will be a major element in driving our sales to that goal,” he said. “The opportunity with IceWeb is similar to what we experienced several years ago with LeftHand Networks. We started out small, but rapidly drove sales in excess of $50 million over the last two years.”

The complete IceWeb product line will be available on Promark's two-tier GSA schedule, with shipping available immediately. Earlier this month, IceWeb launched its Iplicity Data Storage platform, which enables the incorporation of available disk storage resident in non-Iplicity-based legacy storage vendor products such as those produced by EMC, Network Appliance, Hitachi, Equalogic, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. Storage solutions are available as NAS (network-attached storage), SANs (storage area networks) or the company’s patented LCCSD (Locally Connected Cloud Storage Devices).

The units are fitted with hot-swappable redundant power supplies and fans. Designed with an eye on the company’s user-friendly philosophy, all units ship standard with high-performance, independently manageable two-port RAID/HBA controllers and six 10/100/1,000M-bps Ethernet ports (which can be bound and aggregated). Additional optional connectivity for 10GB Ethernet and 4GB or 8GB Fibre Channel is available, as are other customized connectivity options.

"It is really amazing to have our products distributed nationally by Promark Technologies—Promark has a dedicated base of storage-focused VARs that they have developed over the last 20 years," said IceWeb CEO John Signorello. "Those VARs understand what it takes to sell storage. We can now leverage our 100 percent channel-driven model to the right audience. With Promark handling the credit and finance issues, it reduces the burden of raising additional capital at our current stock price, and IceWeb now has the luxury to focus on execution of our business model to drive shareholder value."

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