Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc., today introduced Avnet Cloud Solutions, a dedicated team focused on off-premise cloud solutions for value-added reseller (VAR), managed service provider (MSP) and integrated software vendor (ISV) partners in the U.S. and Canada. The Avnet Cloud Solutions team is developing a portfolio of integrated and packaged offerings designed to be delivered on an annuity-basis by partners, minimizing their development costs and fostering repeatability.

The focus of this portfolio is on the areas of cloud computing that are in demand among end-users and best served by off-premise cloud delivery models. Initially, Avnet will provide partners with offerings in workload categories, such as productivity and collaboration; backup and disaster recovery; test and development; security; application hosting and management; remote management and monitoring; and data center as a service.

"Avnet invested more than a year of research and development into the creation of Avnet Cloud Solutions, analyzing the short- and long-term cloud computing opportunities in the data center," said Tim FitzGerald, vice president of Avnet Cloud Solutions group, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. "Avnet Cloud Solutions will leverage this knowledge to help our partners capitalize on cloud computing opportunities that are in the greatest demand among customers today. The Avnet Cloud Solutions team will work with our partners to accelerate their growth and build successful off-premise cloud solutions businesses."

To develop its portfolio of integrated and packaged solution offerings, Avnet works with industry-leading cloud providers. Cloud providers selected for this ecosystem align with the workloads that the Avnet Cloud Solutions team has determined are in high-demand areas. Additionally, these providers meet specific requirements that ensure the best interests of Avnet's partners are protected and bring the greatest value to end customers.

"In alignment with this strategy, Avnet entered into a strategic agreement with Savvis, a global enterprise-class cloud and managed services provider. Savvis was selected based on meeting specific channel requirements and its reputation for best-in-class cloud and managed services capabilities," said FitzGerald.

"We're pleased to deliver cloud and managed services to enterprise customers through Avnet's channel community because they have a proven ability to build an ecosystem of knowledgeable partners that understand end customers' business challenges," said Jaywant Singh Rao, vice president of global alliances at Savvis. "With the launch of Avnet Cloud Solutions, Avnet reinforces its commitment to managed services and the high-growth cloud market."

Avnet Cloud Solutions will help partners determine the quickest path to becoming trusted advisors for cloud solutions by developing domain expertise in off-premise cloud computing and bridging gaps as partners transition more of their business to an annuity revenue model.

"Cloud computing continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and Avnet's strategy is in lockstep and aligns well with high-growth market opportunities for partners," said Marco Mohajer, executive vice president at Technologent, a leading global provider of technology infrastructure solutions and Avnet partner. "At Technologent, we recognize that to be successful long-term, we need to develop our off-premise cloud computing business. Since this is more services-focused and annuity-based than traditional solutions sales, Avnet Cloud Solutions' approach will help us quickly pursue off-premise cloud computing opportunities with offerings that are specifically designed for the channel and match the needs of our customers."

Partners can learn more about Avnet Cloud Solutions at CompTIA's Breakaway 2012 on July 30 - August 2, 2012, in Las Vegas. FitzGerald will be a panelist in the session titled, "Distributor Power Panel: The Role of Distribution in the New Channel" on August 1, 2012, noon to 1:30 p.m. PT.

For more information about Avnet Cloud Solutions visit www.avnetcloudready.com