George Fandos, vice president of global data center for Weston’s Comstor Worldwide operation, says the centers are meant to help accelerate adoption of converged data center technologies being advocated and designed by several of the distributor’s key vendor partners, notably Cisco, NetApp, EMC, VMware, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP. Solution providers can either visit the center live or access technologies remotely.

“Those with data center practices will be able to go in and debate what is best for their customers. See how technologies coexist with different servers in the converged data center environment,” says Fandos.

Access to the LEAP Center is available to any qualified solution provider who buys through Westcon, according to Fandos. The main intent is to help accelerate adoption of these evolving technologies, both on the part of solution providers and end-user customers, he says.

This is actually the second LEAP center; the first one was opened in Brussels and additional facilities are planning for Singapore and Sydney, according to Fandos.

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Parrish’s biggest piece of advice for IT solution providers: ignoring the cloud will not stop this concept from gaining momentum but it WILL hurt their ability to play a part. That’s why her biggest topic of ongoing conversation with NetApp’s various solution provider advisory councils is deciphering how various channel models will be impacted.

NetApp’s differentiator in the transition to cloud computing will be the factor that it does not aspire to become a service provider itself. Rather, it is studying relationships with cloud service providers (think of companies like Rackspace or Terramark or Iron Mountain) that might use its technologies as the basis of their cloud infrastructure. These service providers, in turn, will rely on IT services companies and VARs to be their face to the customer AND to handle the delicate integration challenge posed by hybrid cloud/on-premise computing environments. In any case, the channel’s voice and talents will be critical to the transition and beyond.

“We will not be cutting our partners out of their ability to participate,” Parrish says. “But it is up to them to be clear on where they want to play.”

Another thing to keep in mind: there will be an extended period of transition during which business models will be imagined, defined, re-imagined and re-defined.

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