Cloud-based VDI for UK market

TDAzlan has signed a UK distribution agreement for Flip IT – the Cisco Powered cloud-based virtualized desktop service for small-and medium-sized businesses.
Flip IT is ideally-suited to SMBs with up to 100 seats and thus addresses a market that is not served by current offerings in the VDI market. Through its Applications Store, it provides subscribers with access to a whole range of popular applications and services on a monthly, per-seat basis and thus offers optimum flexibility and dynamic scalability for smaller and growing businesses.

The service, developed by specialist independent software vendor, NIL (www.nil.com), is being provided to Azlan by Verizon Enterprise Solutions through its network of enterprise-class data centres.

With immediate effect, the service will be fully available through Tech Data’s StreamOne aggregation and billing platform, making it easy for resellers to deliver the service to their customers, provide quotations and consolidate billing at the end of each month.

Mark Wheeler, Director of the Cisco Business Unit within Azlan, stated: “As Flip IT is a Cisco-Powered service, it is a natural fit both for Azlan and for SMB-focused Cisco channel partners looking to become Cisco Cloud Services Resellers.”

With the end of support for Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) editions and Windows XP now imminent, this is an opportune time to be talking to SMBs about their approach to IT solutions and services, Wheeler added.

“Many smaller businesses will need to consider their next steps very carefully and we believe Flip IT is a very good option. It enables them to build an entire virtual office inside the cloud, without having to make any long-term commitment to purchasing software or managing software deployment and licensing. It is entirely secure and very cost-effective. We can clearly demonstrate that SMBs will make significant cost-savings by making use of the Flip IT VDI service instead of on-premise software.”

Flip IT is being offered by Azlan as part of Tech Data’s ongoing TD Cloud strategy, which consists of a set of programmes and services that address the needs of managed services providers (MSPs) , value-added resellers and ISVs addressing the developing cloud services market.

Commenting on behalf of Cisco, Ian Redfern, Director, Cloud and Managed Services, EMEAR at Cisco, said: “Flip IT is a next-generation Cisco Powered cloud service and Azlan is an ideal partner to help us develop the channel to take it to the SMB market in the UK. We support Azlan’s efforts to educate and enable Cisco partners to address the large SMB market opportunity for cloud and managed services.”

Sašo Djokovi?, Director of Flip IT Services, commented: “We developed Flip IT to provide powerful and flexible orchestration and management that enables provisioning and self-provisioning of cloud services. In doing so, we are providing systems integrators and VARs with a simple way to offer cloud and managed services and Tech Data’s aims in the market are directly aligned with our own. We look forward to supporting our partners as we enter this new era, in which SMBs will be able to gain much greater benefits and returns from their investment in IT solutions and services.”