The distributor's entry into the virtualization market could be a boost to the technology, especially in the SMB (small and midsize business) area, where Tech Data has traction and virtualization has little, said Tech Data, based in Clearwater, Fla.

Kash Mahna, president of Computer Systems and Methods, a solution provider in Somerville, N.J., said virtualization products have not yet fully reached the marketplace, and he expects to see more interest in virtualization solutions that reduce space concerns and costs.

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"I think a lot of this will be word of mouth, with one IT person talking to another," Mahna told The Channel Insider. "XenSource was looking for people with good technical backgrounds and they would turn around and help us with the marketing. We really liked what they had to say."

With only a small percentage of the market using any sort of virtualization, the market was bound to grow, Mahna said, especially as customers grapple with the cost of energy and real estate.

Virtualization is a new venture for Tech Data, according to a spokesperson, and the company expects to make additional announcements in the coming months.

XenSource is expected to run in Windows as it does on Linux. Click here to read more.

The platform and virtualization in general are opportunities for VARs to bring value and attach services, said Bob O'Malley, senior vice president for U.S. Marketing at Tech Data.

"With the addition of XenEnterprise, resellers can provide their customers with cost-cutting solutions that enhance the utilization of existing servers and may also lead to new hardware sales, maintenance agreements and consulting services for future network expansion," O'Malley said in a statement.