FD Insights Issue 6 | Page 46

over the next 12 months with products like vSAN (which changes the way we address storage), and NSX which is launching in the 3rd quarter of this year. VMware NSX is set to revolutionise the network in the same way virtualisation revolutionised the way in which we deal with servers. Sascha SchmidtRies Role: Product Manager Brand: EMC Bio: Originally from a production and operational planning background, I joined the IT industry in 2006 and have worked at Apple, Sennheiser Consumer Electronics and EMC before joining First Distribution in 2012. An Overview of Your Brand or Product, and Its Inherent Strengths and Features EMC focuses on complete datacentre storage and management solutions. A great strength is that EMC integrates well with other vendor products to enable a partner to offer a complete solution, whilst using EMC to compliment any existing or preferred solutions. EMC is regarded as the global leader in storage solutions and purpose-built backup appliances, offering an end-to-end solution to all storage / backup needs in the datacentre. What Sets First Distribution Apart First Distribution provides our partners with the support to be able to offer complete solutions to their customers. FD also has technical and sales resources that will assist the partner in offering the right solution and being able to close it. FD also focuses on the operational side, from deal registration, pricing and ordering, to the logistics infrastructure ensuring on-time delivery. Where Do You See Your Brand in the Next 12-18 Months? After experiencing exponential growth over the last two years, we want to grow the business further in areas that were previously not focused on, such as the software defined datacentre, Syncplicity and Isilon, all the while maintaining and growing the existing and traditional storage and backup products. FIRST DISTRIBUTION Helena Svoboda Samsung and Toshiba Product Manager Helena Svoboda Role: Product Manager Brand: Samsung and Toshiba RSS Role: National Product Manager for the Brands, and Account Manager for the Western Cape. My role is to look after the best interests of not only the sales team and First Distribution, but also to have a lasting relationship with the vendor. Only then can we be successful in what we want to achieve. Bio: I started out in Johannesburg working on IBM System x, then moved down to Cape Town in a sales position. After six months I became the Product Manager for Samsung Large Format Displays and Toshiba Point of Sales. I have been in this position for four years, and have been with First Distribution for seven. An Overview of Your Brands or Products, and Their Inherent Strengths and Features Samsung Digital Signage has an integrated Smart Signage Platform integrated solution that combines hardware and software onto one platform. This approach to digital 44 | www.firstdistribution.co.za