Addressing the growing needs for customers faced with server sprawl and virtualization management issues, Arrow Electronics Inc. (NYSE: ARW) today announced that it would offer converged infrastructure bundles designed to help simplify integration for cloud data centers. Built upon the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Flex System and the Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) QFabric™ technology, Arrow’s new bundle will help customers easily manage virtualization demands driven by today’s big data initiatives that require integrated server and storage.
“Our enterprise customers want solutions that are easy to purchase and quickly deliver value,” said Scott Seger, vice president of sales for CBTS, a provider of end-to-end business technology solutions. “The new IBM Flex System and Juniper QFabric bundle offers a tightly integrated system that provides the performance and ease of deployment critical for today’s data center environments.”
Initially available in the United States through Arrow’s Enterprise Computing Solutions segment, the Juniper Networks® QFabric Architecture for the IBM Flex Systems helps customers simplify traditional data-center networks. Tested and integrated into a single part number, the bundled solution will allow customers to grow as their business needs evolve, providing cost-effective business agility. The new products are unique given they allow customers to integrate an open, Juniper Networks QFabric infrastructure with IBM’s Flex System.
“Arrow is pleased to enable these two technology powerhouses, IBM and Juniper, to come together in a complementary fashion to deliver a robust converged infrastructure solution to the respective channel ecosystems,” said Sean Kerins, president, North America, Enterprise Computing Solutions, Arrow. “Customers have clearly demonstrated their preference for choice. This bundle enables solution providers to deliver infrastructure that caters to their customers’ current and future needs.”
The new system offers:
- Open and flexible customer experience: Arrow’s combination of the IBM Flex System server, storage, management, and the Juniper Networks QFabric networking speed and scalability offers customers an integrated computing stack for the data center;
- Ease-of-deployment: Customers can quickly reduce the time required to setup cloud-ready data centers with an open, flexible, client-tuned approach that will help accelerate the deployment of new cloud-based applications;
- High performance: Offering a simple solution that improves application performance with three microseconds of latency, the Juniper Networks QFX3500 enables server-to-server traffic speed equivalent to streaming 1,000 high-definition movies in a single second;
- Channel partner dedication: Arrow, IBM and Juniper share a commitment to strengthening channel alliances and facilitating business opportunities while making it easier for customers to buy integrated solutions and technologies that offer greater performance and scalability to meet the demands of tomorrow’s data-center environments today.
“Juniper, Arrow and IBM are giving enterprise CXOs the ability to simplify the integration of two market leading data center building blocks with the bundle of FlexSystem and QFabric,” said Jonathan Davidson, senior vice president and general manager, Campus and Data Center Business Unit. “With this best of breed infrastructure in place, clients will be able to scale without adding complexity while simultaneously delivering application performance in their data centers.”
The IBM Flex System provides the building-block elements for IBM PureSystems. IBM Flex Systems are built-to-order offerings for clients who want to custom build and tune configurations to their specific requirements. This allows them to select the specific compute, systems networking and optional storage and management required to support their specific workloads.