IBM and Zylotech in ‘big embrace’ By Lilia Guan 22 September...

IBM and Zylotech in ‘big embrace’

By Lilia Guan
22 September 2008 01:59PM

IBM has signed a business partner agreement with local IT hardware and security solutions manufacturer, Zylotech.

Under the agreement, IBM’s Systems and Technology Group (STG) will be able to sell Zylotech’s IP-security solutions with its storage products.

According to Nicholas Sikiotis, CEO at Zylotech will be able to take IBM’s storage product and package it with it security products to sell through its channel and direct to end users.

“For the past year and a half we have had a non-disclosure agreement with the vendor,” said Sikiotis.

“During that time we have been explaining to IBM why storage and security surveillance go together.”

Sikiotis said the vendor sees the need to partner storage and security products because IP based video cameras are one of the biggest generators of data.

“One live camera produces six-megabits per second. STG has a range of storage products and felt it needed to play into the market,” he said.

“Video surveillance and in particular - IP-based cameras generates a number of data and for IBM that is money. So it gave us the ‘big embrace’ and took us onboard as a partner.”

As part of Zylotech’s expansion into the IT market, the company has established an IT Channel and Business Development Division.

“We hired Nandan Keerthi, former IBM distribution Business Manager to manage our new go-to market,” said Sikiotis.

“STG’s resellers will become our resellers and vice versa. This is new for us because in the past we have sold our security products through surveillance security companies, like Honeywell.”

As part of their new agreement, he claimed both companies were now bidding on highly lucrative security projects together.