SHARE
Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp

Marathon Turns to Arrow for Mass-Market Support

Marathon Technologies had been running its own channel for about two years to deliver about half of its Microsoft Windows protection software to market. But its latest product required a different approach that led them to team with distributor Arrow Electronics Enterprise Computing Solutions for better support. Marathon’s high-availability applications necessitate a team of partners […]

Written By
thumbnail John Hazard
John Hazard
Apr 3, 2006
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Marathon Technologies had been running its own channel for about two years to deliver about half of its Microsoft Windows protection software to market.

But its latest product required a different approach that led them to team with distributor Arrow Electronics Enterprise Computing Solutions for better support.

Marathon’s high-availability applications necessitate a team of partners that the company kept to 60 VARs and systems integrators.

But the firm’s product, FTvirtual Server, a software-only version of its high-availability solution to protect Windows applications against platform faults and failures, required more of a mass-market approach than the company’s 60-VAR program could deliver.

Marathon turned to distributor Arrow Electronics, building a relationship that would bring Marathon’s solution to a large swath of partners, but in a manner that provides them with the proper support.

“It’s meant to be a turnkey solution,” said Gary Phillips, President and CEO of Marathon.

“In the past, this kind of product [high-availability] was really only feasible on the high end [where it could be supported]. This product is useable and consumable by a large percentage of the market. Now the challenge is getting it to market.”

High-availability solutions, such as Marathon’s FTvirtual Server, are increasingly important to the IT strategy that resellers and distributors offer clients, said Eric Williams, executive vice president of the Arrow’s IBM business unit.

Arrow delivers marketing and lead generation support, but Marathon retains control of who sells their product, keeping a lid on channel conflict and maintaining quality, Phillips said.

Recommended for you...

Manny Rivelo on Evolving Channel & How MSPs Can Get Ahead
Victoria Durgin
Aug 20, 2025
Databricks Raises at $100B+ Valuation on AI Momentum
Allison Francis
Aug 20, 2025
Keepit Achieves SOC 2 Type 1 & Canadian Ingram Micro Deal
Jordan Smith
Aug 20, 2025
AI Customer Service Fails to Satisfy Consumer Needs: Verizon
Franklin Okeke
Aug 19, 2025
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.