ASBIS Africa, a company in the black-owned Sithabile Technology Group that focuses on the distribution of building blocks and components in the IT supply chain, has launched a new division specialising in the provision of data storage products and technologies to value-add resellers throughout southern Africa.
Odirile Storage Distribution (OSD), the new ASBIS division, has been launched on the back of OSD's appointment as the South African distributor for a number of the world's premier manufacturers of industry-leading open systems data storage technologies.
ASBIS Africa chief executive officer Wade Calenborne describes the formation of OSD as a unique response to strong demand in the South African market for a highly skilled and focused data storage distributor.
"While many local IT distributors were launched originally to address storage-related technologies, without exception these companies have diversified as they have matured and now offer a broad range of IT products. OSD has been launched to reverse the general trend towards broad-based IT distribution and is focused exclusively on data storage products and solutions," he said.
Calenborne added that OSD is uniquely positioned in the market based on several competitive differentiators.
"First, OSD is part of a black-owned technology group whose impeccable BEE credentials go far beyond even the long-term objectives of the proposed ICT BEE charter.
"Secondly, OSD has entered into direct strategic relationships with the world's premier vendors of open systems data storage technologies, including QLogic, Dot Hill and others to guarantee the availability in SA of best-of-breed products.
"Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the solutions offered by OSD are supported by a team of highly skilled and fully certified data storage engineers. This team offers resellers and their end-user customers unrivalled levels of pre- and post-sales technical support and expert services," he said.
Confirming OSD's appointment as the strategic partner of choice in SA, QLogic distribution sales manager for EMEA, Syd Virdi, described the formation and launch of the new division as a long overdue development in the South African market.
QLogic is a proven leader in the storage network connectivity domain, manufacturing end-to-end products that include controller chips, host bus adapters (HBAs), fabric switches and management software that form the backbone of storage networks. OSD will introduce the entire range of QLogic's cutting-edge technology products to the market backed by high-level sales and technical support to the channel.
"Although data storage has been one of the highest growth sectors in the IT industry for a number years, and is predicted to maintain growth at well above double-digit levels for the foreseeable future, it is not a sector than can be successfully addressed using the principles of mass distribution based on the supply of commodity products.
"As a sector of the IT industry that is devoted to the management and protection of any organisation's most valuable assets, data storage requires a substantial investment in human resource geared towards the provision of value-add services that help to guarantee the availability, reliability and integrity of corporate data and information.
"OSD's commitment to technical excellence and its focus on data storage as a specialist discipline meets all the criteria set by QLogic in establishing business partner alliances around the world," Virdi said.
Bob Aitchison, QLogic's regional manager for EMEA, described OSD as a sought-after business partner that will enjoy the direct support and backing of the QLogic corporation in the South African market.
"Genuine black economic empowerment and transformation is a non-negotiable condition of conducting business in SA - a requirement that QLogic, as a responsible multinational corporation and industry leader not on understands but fully supports. Qlogic's ability to contribute, albeit indirectly, to the economic advancement of historically disadvantaged people and communities was a major factor in selecting OSD and the Sithabile Technology Group as our strategic business partners in SA," he said.
Calenborne confirmed that OSD will be headed up by Ewald Meyer, a highly experienced and respected veteran of the data storage distribution industry. Meyer will also take direct responsibility for the QLogic value-add reseller channel in SA.
Jerry Mashinini, an executive director of Sithabile Technology Group (STG), said he was extremely proud to have the broad-based black economic empowerment credentials of STG associated with the new division and with industry-leading vendors such as QLogic.
"As a black-owned technology group with a clearly-stated strategy to dominate in carefully selected niche markets in the IT industry, OSD represents an exciting development and an ideal opportunity to address data storage via a focused distributor," he said.
For more information please visit www.asbis.co.za
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