SEPATON launch new programme to qualified channel partners

SEPATON, Inc., a leader in enterprise-class data protection solutions, has unveiled the SEPATON Catalyst Partner Programme, which provides financial and technical advantages to qualified channel partners worldwide to respond to the demand for advanced data protection solutions. This new programme launches with 65 members, bringing together the industry's leading virtual tape library solution with some of the most skilled, full-service storage resellers to enable successful SEPATON data protection deployments.

"Demand for VTL solutions and other advanced data protection applications has grown significantly, creating opportunities for well-qualified VARs and systems integrators to meet market needs," said Mike Worhach, president and CEO, SEPATON, Inc. "With this in mind, we have carefully crafted a partner programme offering financial and technical advantages for the channel and a growing base of data protection expertise for our customers. We continue to enhance the value we deliver to our channel partners by investing in more extensive incentive programmes, robust sales tools and a truly differentiated VTL product with Content Aware deduplication capabilities."

Key elements of the SEPATON Catalyst Partner Program include:

• Proven technology - SEPATON offers the industry's most robust VTL
  appliance with a unique software architecture; 
• Educational services - remote and instructor-led training courses,
  providing student's access to focused education options that cover SEPATON hardware, software and connectivity solutions;
• Access to special promotions to help fund lead-generating activities and
  assistance with the development of email campaigns;
• Access to demo and evaluation units; 
•  Opportunity registration program to protect the integrity of leads and
  accounts, ensure partner profitability, and competitive product pricing;
• Ongoing regional sales and technical support;
• Participation in Catalyst Advisory Panel for select members;
• Beta program participation for select members; 
• Executive sponsorship for select members; 
• Pre-sales and sales support;
• Dedicated marketing support via the SEPATON partner website,
  product-specific sales tools, and a bi-monthly partner newsletter.

Membership in the Catalyst Programme is available at two levels - Gold Reseller and Silver Reseller. These tiers are based upon an organisation's VTL sales revenue, number of certified VTL specialist's on-staff and backup expertise. A representative UK partner includes Hammer. Representative international partners include Bear Data Systems, ComSource, Consiliant, Data Protection Associates, Essex Technology Group, Marketex and Total Tec Systems (U.S.), Beijing Grandrole Sciences (China), DTC (Japan), Samboo (Korea), MTI (Germany) and StorTech (South Africa).

SEPATON's Catalyst Partner Program members are participating in team selling activities with SEPATON's sales force in North America, Europe and Asia. Mike Sutkowski has been named vice president of channel sales at SEPATON and has a team of dedicated channel sales managers in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

"SEPATON is offering the best of both worlds - a much-needed enterprise class VTL solution to offer to our customers, plus a partner programme that is tailored to give us maximum opportunity to extend our storage solutions for financial growth," said Dave Fizer, territory manager, Essex Technology Group. "Partnering with SEPATON has been a smooth and rewarding experience and we're looking forward to serving the rapidly growing data protection market together."

SEPATON released the newest version of its award-winning virtual tape library, the S2100R-ES2 series 750, in November and was recognised among top open systems products as having one of the most scalable architectures of any open systems VTL by Forrester Research, Inc. in February. Today, SEPATON is protecting over 57PB of data at more than 900 customers in more than 25 countries.