Virtensys signs on Promark to drive i/O virtualization solutions to channel 17 January, 2010 By Mark Cox

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"Server virtualization and storage virtualization really did not touch the I/O segment," said Bob Napaa, VP of marketing and business development at Virtensys. " Servers today have a mesh of cables coming out, and a typical 6-8 cables translate into a number of IO adapters. We take virtualization to the next level, optimizing the I/O infrastructure. We consolidate all the I/O switches, with all the adapters plugged into our box. it is totally transparent to the server, which means you don't need an IT guy at every step."

Napaa said the bottom line is that their solution reduces cost by 70-80% and power by 60-70%, while delivering the same performance as in a traditional environment. Because the solution is hardware-based, it doesn't take bandwidth away like a software solution would, so has no negative performance impact.

The economics of Virtensys' solution really starts to make sense at six servers and up, Napaa said. And as you increase the numbers of servers, the savings increase proportionally. The channel can reach deeply into these smaller deployments, and greatly expand the vendor's reach.

Virtensys has an OEM strategy, which will start to hit the market in the middle of this year. And their agreement with ProMark will introduce their products into the channel for the first time. The company has two solutions for the channel. The VIO 4001 virtualizes 10 GE Ethernet and 4 and 8G Fibre Channel. The VIO 4008 adds the virtualization of direct attached storage, and is the only product on the market that virtualizes Ethernet, Fibre Channel and DAS.

The agreement with ProMark is an exclusive one at the present time, and product is available through them now. The distributor's commercial market presence is complemented by a strong presence in the U.S. government sector, which Virtensys finds attractive.

Virtensys will also support its' channel initiative with a new partner program, which will offer its channel partners strong margins, financial incentives, lead generation, as well as extensive technical training and sales support.

"We believe 2010 will be a great year for us moving forward," Napaa said.