Skip Links

Network World

  • Social Web 
  • Email 
  • Close

Parallels expands reach with distribution partner

By Elizabeth Montalbano , IDG News Service , 09/26/2006

The start-up that's winning notoriety for bringing Microsoft's Windows operating system to the Macintosh platform is expanding its customer reach through a new partnership with its first U.S. distributor.

Parallels, which provides virtualization software for running Windows on Linux and Apple Computer's Macintosh desktop operating system, has struck a deal with Tech Data unveiled this week.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tech Data will provide Parallels software and tools to several markets, including the education and government verticals, as well as Fortune 500 and small to midsize businesses.

Benjamin Rudolph, marketing manager for Parallels, said Tech Data will be the company's main distribution partner in the U.S. although the company already works with distributors in 62 countries, such as Avanquest Software in Europe.

Tech Data is a Fortune 500 global distributor of IT products, with more than 90,000 customers in more than 100 countries. The company works with many of the top hardware and software vendors, including IBM, Microsoft and HP.

Parallels already has relationships with U.S. reseller partners, but now Tech Data will manage those relationships, Rudolph said. Parallels also hopes to win new resellers and customers through such an auspicious partnership, he added.

"[Tech Data] will start leveraging their network to bring qualified resellers into the Parallels family," Rudolph said. "They're pros. They are a multibillion-dollar company and really know their stuff."

For having only been around for less than a year and a half -- Parallels opened its doors in July 2005 -- the company has gotten a substantial amount of press for its Parallels Desktop for Mac virtualization software that enables Mac users to run Windows on Mac OS X.

Rudolph said while the company sells about several thousand copies a month of both its flagship Parallels Workstation for Windows and Linux product and its Mac product, the latter is definitely the more popular of the two products.

Parallels currently has about 85 employees, but is adding several people a week to the company, Rudolph said.

Partner Content
CA logo

CA Network & Voice Resource Center

Comprehensive Network & Voice Management Visit CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center and get insights into industry best practices, information that helps you to address your challenges.

CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center

whitepaper

Managing Voice Over IP for Successful Convergence

Voice over IP (VoIP) has much to offer in cost savings but some customers have concerns about VoIP call quality compared to the quality of traditional voice services. This white paper will help you learn how to take the right steps so that voice quality is assured.

Managing VoIP for Successful Convergence

whitepaper

The Changing Face of Network Management

Managing your network is serious business. This paper discusses the benefits of integrating configuration change-awareness into your network fault management solution

Download Whitepaper

Comment
Login
Forgot your account info?
Add comment
Anonymous comments subject to approval. Register here for member benefits.
Have a NetworkWorld account? Log in here. Register now for a free account.

Videos

rssRss Feed

Whitepapers

Sun Microsystems: The Green Tide Is Coming. Pressure Builds for an Energy-Efficient Data Center

It's safe to say that most companies, if presented with hard numbers on their energy consumption...

Secure Wireless Printing Options

Discover how you can reduce the TCO of your wireless printers in this whitepaper. Learn how to...

Tuning ERP and the Supply Chain for Profitable Growth

The supply chain is, of course, the primary processing mechanism of every manufacturing company....

Webcasts

Direct from Microsoft: Tips for Integrating Exchange 2007 and Double-Take Software

Double-Take (r) Software and Microsoft are teaming up on September 9, 2008 for a webinar focusing...

PoE Plus: Impact on the PoE Market

The standard for Power over Ethernet (PoE), IEEE Std. 802.3af(tm)-2003, advanced networking,...

Harnessing the power of communications to increase workplace performance

Due to the convergence of IT and telecommunications technologies, the business workplace has been...

Special Reports

The New Network/System Management Challenges

Increasingly popular technologies such as virtualization, wireless networking and data center...

Virtualization Reality Check

Find out why analysts say approaching virtualization with an ounce of caution is wise. And also why...

Closing the Loop: Extending Wireless LAN Security to Wireless Printers

Enterprises cannot overlook wireless printers when assessing network security. The print jobs and...

Get instant email notification when white papers, webcasts, executive guides are added to our library. Stay informed and up-to-date with the latest on IT Technologies with Network World's Resource Alerts.