Sun, Orcom build VAR partner base

In just over six months, Sun Microsystems SA and its local channel development partner (CDP) Orcom have signed up a number of new partners, strengthening Sun's growing infiltration into SA's general business market.

Companies such as MBWorksoft, CapStone, Iocore, Global Makana, Datrix Solutions and Sybase are now deploying Sun technology cost-effectively by, for example, offering bundled solutions - built on Sun - that are tailor made for SA businesses' specific needs.

According to Nomazwi Siyotula, director at Orcom, one of the main reasons for this early success is that Sun has been working very closely with its new VARs (value-added resellers) in developing solutions that enable immediate ROI (return on investment).

"SA companies today are buying pre-bundled solutions that have minimal risk and guarantee ROI. Offering hardware alone is just not good enough," says Siyotula.

Through Orcom and Sun partners, companies can implement specific solutions using best-of-breed practices, which are built according to their needs. Says Daryl Blundell, solutions sales manager at Sun Microsystems SA: "We can, for example, offer a security appliance that is pre-bundled with virus detection."

An example of another Sun bundled offering that has seen significant adoption is the Data Warehousing IQ Bundle which has been developed in conjunction with Sybase SA. "The offering is a cost-effective, high performance data warehousing solution bundle for all companies ranging from small businesses through to enterprise-sized corporates, which comprises a Sun Fire Server together with Sybase IQ to suit the data volumes and queries required by the customer," says Blundell.

Another Sun bundled solution is the 'Office in a Box', developed by MBWorksoft and Sun and catering for five to-25 user PC environments. The solution allows home workers or small business owners to host their own Web sites, set up their own e-mail systems and protect their computing environments from Internet security threats.

"It provides all the tools and applications needed to leverage 'always-on' Internet connections and Web-enabled home networks or small business environments," he adds.

Datrix Solutions, the South African distributor of Samsung Contact, now offers Samsung SDS' Samsung Contact messaging platform bundled with Sun Microsystems' LX50 to offer a joint enterprise messaging solution that is a viable, scalable and cost-effective alternative to groupware for organisations, from SMEs to corporates. Launched in 2002, the LX50 is pre-integrated with either Linux or the Solaris Operating Environment and bundled with the Sun One software stack and Java. Samsung Contact is based on the core of HP's OpenMail technology.

Significantly, all these bundled solutions are well priced and developed by experts in their respective fields. "We're utilising specialists with niche skills and giving them the option to bring their products to market on the Sun platform," says Blundell.

Orcom, a black empowerment (BE) company, recruits VARs to promote and sell Sun technologies to SA's mid-market business segment, estimated at 80% of the market.