Dell Selects London as First Stop for 2012 Storage Forums

Dell is crossing the pond in January to take its storage message to partners in the United Kingdom with the first of its 2012 Dell Storage Forums. You may remember in June 2011, The VAR Guy headed to sunny Orlando, Fla., for the inaugural Dell Storage Forum, which marked the first time that Dell Compellent, EqualLogic and PowerVault partners came together for one event, focused on bringing together all those technologies into a “fluid” data infrastructure. Now, Dell is ready to cross the pond and bring the fluidity to London for its European partners.

Taking place at Grange St. Paul’s Hotel Jan. 9-12, 2012, Dell Storage Forum 2012 will highlight Dell’s strategies around storage solutions that are designed to bring in new technology that is easier to manage, future-proof and scalable-ready. And much like the Dell Storage Forum in Florida, the London event will focus on Dell’s Fluid Data architecture strategy alongside a plethora of breakout sessions that can help partners seek out the latest and greatest storage opportunities. According to Dell, this is a “… unique approach to data storage [and] is highlighted by the theme ‘Fluid by Design,’ which was selected for Dell Storage Forum events throughout 2012.”

Smartly, Dell has used feedback from the initial Dell Storage Forum event to reshape some key areas for the London event, which will include more technical deep-dive sessions along with hands-on and onsite training. Dell also has ensured more time for partners to chat with tech experts and bloggers alike. Hmmm. The VAR Guy likes that. If The VAR Guy ends up stuck in America, Dell has already made plans for a June 2012 Dell Storage Forum in Boston, just a quick trip on the Acela from The VAR Guy’s Big Apple turf.

Our resident blogger sees storage as the universal constant to expand as the virtualization and cloud technologies take off. Dell is smart to maintain its storage momentum and educate partners on how to maximize their potential. The VAR Guy will also be keeping tabs on how storage changes the IT landscape, since we already know Intel is anticipating a drop in revenue amid storage shortages.