IBM Signs Distribution Agreement with Bell Microproducts

In an agreement expected to generate more than $2 billion in sales over the next four years, Bell Microproducts (San Jose, CA), a distributor of IBM products since 1993, will begin to distribute a range of products from IBM's Technology Group (Somers, NY). The new agreement capitalizes on Bell Microproducts' established marketing and sales structures in the product areas that include LCD panels, network controllers, storage area networks (SAN), network and server attached storage, hard disk drives, tape drives, and LTO-based tape libraries.

Bell will market IBM products at a variety of levels of integration, from components to subsystem assemblies to fully integrated, tested, and certified system solutions. Bell also will offer a range of services such as testing, software loading, kitting, mass-storage system integration, and computer system integration.

To target the rapidly growing data storage business, Bell's BellStor Storage Solutions Division will provide technical support for the entire range of storage products from the IBM Storage Technology Division, including server-attached storage arrays, network-attached storage, SAN, and LTO tape automation solutions.

The IBM Technology Group, a major supplier of components to computer makers, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard drives, liquid crystal displays, tape storage systems, and semiconductors.

Edited by John Spofford