Tech Data and Seagate strengthen XaaS options
Distributor and storage player both take steps to increase their as-a-service options, through acquisition and a service launch
Tech Data has continued to flex its muscles in a move to enhance its as-a-service capabilities with the acquisition of Finance Technology.
Since the distributor came under Apollo’s ownership, it has started to show its determination to expand, picking up Innovix Distribution last September to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and expand the business in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
The latest purchase of Oslo-headquartered Finance Technology is designed to gain a platform provider that has expertise in delivering technology as a service (TaaS) across Europe.
The TaaS platform is already used by a range of partners to handle the technology lifecycle, with the option to integrate the offering into their own online and in-store environments. The Finance Technology product is already available and implemented through several resellers in the UK and the Nordics.
“The world is becoming more service-driven and Tech Data is building a compelling and broad range of XaaS [anything as a service] offerings to address this demand. The addition of Finance Technology is a further demonstration of Tech Data’s commitment to invest in digital capabilities that deliver improved experiences and greater agility for businesses across the technology ecosystem,” said Stephen Nolan, senior vice-president of endpoint solutions, Europe, at Tech Data.
Roman Rudolf, vice-president of services, endpoint solutions, Europe, at Tech Data, added that with the addition of Finance Technology it would be offering a “fully integrated and user-friendly platform”.
“The tool will help Tech Data partners to stand out in the marketplace with an excellent customer experience and attractive affordability options to make the latest consumer technology products more accessible to consumers. This platform complements our existing portfolio of innovative services focusing on areas such as TaaS, lifecycle management, sustainability and automated print supply management,” he added.
Meanwhile, the move towards the as-a-service model continued, with Seagate the latest to put a fresh option in front of partners with the launch of its Lyve Cloud storage-as-a-service platform.
Lyve Cloud provides always-on mass capacity data storage and activation and should appeal to those customers looking for a home for their large, unstructured datasets. Seagate is working with Equinix to help deliver the service.
The firm is making the offering available at locations across the US initially, but will then launch it in other countries.
“According to Seagate’s Rethink data report, as much as 68% of data available to enterprises goes unused,” said Ravi Naik, executive vice-president of storage services and chief information officer at Seagate. “By providing a reliable and cost-efficient cloud storage solution at the metro edge, closer to where their data is generated, Lyve Cloud lets enterprises store and activate their data at scale, securely and efficiently.”
