Storage Networking Times

Issue 10, February 2009

SNIA Europe – What’s In it for the Channel?
Aad Dekkers, SNIA Europe Board of Directors, euroinfo@snia.org

Did you know that nearly 40% of SNIA Europe’s members are channel organisations? Many don’t realise the impact the channel has on the association’s activities, or what a great opportunity it is for distributors, integrators and resellers to be included on the roster of members. If you are asking why, let me tell you: it’s all about increased profile and increased value.

The members who get the most out of their annual fee exploit all the benefits of their membership status -- from engaging in networking opportunities through local committees, to contributing to the work of technical working groups, and taking advantage of promotional opportunities and discounted participation to major storage industry events. Not to mention the credibility of association with the storage industry’s main source of unbiased education and information on networked storage and data management technologies around the world.

Since its inception in 2003, SNIA Europe has seen a steady increase in the number of its channel members, who understand the importance their customers place on doing business with credible companies that demonstrate a commitment to active participation in the industry, but it is typically the vendor members have been the most active players within the organisation. Writing as a reseller member as well as a spokesperson for the Board of Directors, I believe this actually presents the channel with a significant opportunity. Let me explain why.

First, SNIA Europe regularly receives requests for information from end users asking about storage trends and technologies; this is a clear sign that IT professionals across the region consider the association a valuable information resource. By becoming (more) involved, any distributor or reseller can get exposure to these potential customers and position themselves as thought-leaders committed to providing their clients with the latest technologies and solutions available on the market.

Membership in SNIA Europe also offers the possibility to network with customers, prospects, peers and suppliers at the association’s events, such as the Academy. In addition, by taking part in one or more of the various working groups, initiatives, and local committees, channel companies can contribute to the creation a wealth of vendor-independent educational materials on hot topics such as green storage, SSD, data deduplication, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and much more.

With relatively few channel companies currently making the most of their membership status, there is a great opportunity for distributors and resellers to increase their profile among end users looking to engage with channel organisations.

Finally, the annual membership fees for channel organisations are significantly lower than those charged to vendors, providing even more bang for the buck to channel companies that get involved.

For the business development and marketers looking for a higher level of exposure, membership provides automatic discounts on the sponsorship packages for the association’s flagship event SNW Europe (www.snweurope.com), often sufficient to fully cover the cost of the annual fee (depending on your chosen package). And, the option to participate in the SNIA Europe Academy in 10 countries throughout EMEA is an option reserved exclusively for member companies. (www.storage-academy.com).

Joining SNIA Europe is a cost-effective way to achieve a more prominent position as a leader in the storage and data management industry. Getting actively involved pays the dividend of being better informed and your company and your customers, like mine, will thank you for having made the commitment to do it.

For further information on the benefits of joining SNIA Europe please visit
http://www.snia-europe.org/about/benefits.htm.

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