Red Hat expands its channel for open source data storage

Red Hat has expanded the channel for its Red Hat Storage portfolio of open, software-defined storage solutions. It says that by making Red Hat Ceph Storage and Red Hat Gluster Storage solutions part of the Red Hat Connect for Business Partners and Red Hat Embedded programmes, Red Hat partners can create new business opportunities.

Red Hat Ceph Storage and Red Hat Gluster Storage are open source, scale-out software-defined storage solutions that run on commodity hardware.

Red Hat Ceph Storage has now joined Red Hat Gluster Storage in the Red Hat Connect for Business Partners programme. Red Hat Advanced and Premier partners, that meet the training requirements for their region’s partner programme via the Red Hat Online Partner Enablement Network (OPEN), are authorised to sell Red Hat Storage solutions.

“Resellers will benefit from competitive and flexible pricing models and an opportunity to earn additional margins and/or recurring revenue”, said Red Hat.

In addition, Red Hat Ceph Storage and Red Hat Gluster Storage subscriptions are scheduled to be available to partners through the Red Hat Embedded Programme by the end of 2015. Partners will be able to more quickly and efficiently deliver comprehensive storage offerings to the market as a result, Red Hat said.

Finally, Red Hat Ceph Storage and Red Hat Gluster Storage are scheduled to become available to Red Hat certified cloud and service providers in 2016. Training and certification, marketing and sales programmes and technical content for Red Hat Storage solutions will be available to certified partners in the Red Hat Connect for Business Partners portal.

Ranga Rangachari, Red Hat vice president and general manager, storage and big data, said: “Today’s announcement makes Red Hat Ceph Storage and Red Hat Gluster Storage available to enterprises in more ways than ever before. Red Hat’s open, software-defined storage products provide flexibility to present exciting business opportunities for our global resellers and our embedded, cloud and service provider partners.”

Red Hat launched its Red Hat Certified Cloud and Service Provider Programme earlier this year. It replaced its existing Certified Cloud Provider Programme. The new programme aims to better support distributors, managed service providers and other partners that are involved in all aspects of hybrid cloud build-outs.

@AntonySavvas