Distribution Central earns Star from NetApp
Distribution Central is celebrating after becoming the first distributor in ANZ - and only the sixth across Asia Pacific – to achieve NetApp Star Distributor status, the vendor's top distributor status.
Distribution Central is one of two ANZ NetApp distributors, with Westcon appointed as second distributor last October. Distribution Central had been the exclusive distributor for the region since late 2012.
Star status requires a distributor to meet stringent competencies relating to the ability to deliver reseller training, demonstration stock, technical and pre-sales qualifications, and installation and implementation qualifications.
Nick Verykios, Distribution Central managing director, says the distributor 'continually' tops global customer satisfaction surveys.
"However, our investment in systems that exist nowhere else but Australia and New Zealand are what keeps our partners competitive against other resellers offering alternative technologies, with increased accuracy, minimum time to quote, minimum time to respond and minimum cost in configurations.
Verykios says while the Star Distributor status focuses on competencies relating to enablement and technical skills, DC's investment in systems, services, strategies and products also support the NetApp reseller community.
Among those services are DC Podfactory, which delivers FlexPods and other DC Pod solutions. DC says it is still the only distributor globally that has developed a FlexPod configurator, and a configurator for NetApp Private Storage for AWS, saving partners 'massive' hours in configuration work.
The distributor says it has met or exceeded all of the requirements for NetApp Star status, with its six technical staff certified across the required range of technical/pre-sales qualifications. The six staff are spread across ANZ 'ensuring coverage of the NetApp ANZ channel', the company says.
Four of its engineers are trained to deliver NetApp Accredited Sales Professional and NetApp Accredited Technical Sales Professional training, when only two are required for Star status.
