Through the Cisco WAAS Try & Buy, resellers receive try and buy demo equipment, technical help for qualification of opportunities and ongoing marketing support. Projects are pre-qualified via the Comstor technical team who then engage with the reseller to complete the specification and either Comstor or the reseller install the end user demo kit. Typically once installed current success rate is 85-90% conversion, as long as the solution is qualified properly.
Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) is a comprehensive WAN optimisation solution that accelerates applications over the WAN, delivers video to the branch office, and provides local hosting of branch-office IT services. It allows IT departments to centralise applications and storage in the data center while maintaining LAN-like application performance. Typically this will help to improve productivity of remote employees, minimise branch IT costs and helps organisations to respond rapidly to changing business needs.
Tony Nevill, General Manager at Comstor UK commented: "This is a typical example of how we are working with both Cisco and our partner community to provide value add services to help sell Cisco. We're working with a number of partners who have the right profile and appetite to grow their business with Cisco and Comstor and I'm pleased to see the success we're having already with the WAAS program."
Block Solutions, a Cisco Premier Partner, has already seen success with the program with its first deal. Through the program, it was able to differentiate from competitors by offering expert pre-sales advice. Comstor supported Block by providing WAAS equipment for a proof of concept exercise, without which they wouldn't have been able to close the deal. The project includes Cisco WAAS mobile, Cisco Ironport, ASAs and switches, and will primarily speed up the performance of their customer's trading solution.
Jon Pickering, Managing Director at Block Solutions commented: "Block’s technical team worked closely with the customer to correctly specify the Cisco WAAS solution and the customer wanted to see the products before making a decision. Comstor supported us by providing equipment for the proof of concept exercise. They had equipment available in the UK and got it to site within a few days. Comstor's quick reactions played a key role in helping us win the deal. In addition we undertook the customer pre-sales consultation with our WAAS expert, supported again by Comstor specialists from their technical support team, ensuring the solution was specified correctly".
Bernadette Wightman, Director for UK & Ireland Channels at Cisco commented: "We're seeing more demand for WAAS and Data Centre solutions as companies look for better performance with applications deployed across the WAN. Consolidation of an organisation’s infrastructure can provide many cost benefits and a simpler management process, but accelerated applications are critical in making this work. To create this reality, Comstor are helping drive the market by making it easier for the reseller to do business with Cisco."