CRN Names EMC VNXe Storage Product of the Year

HOPKINTON, Mass. - December 12, 2011 -

• Today EMC® announced the EMC® VNXe® unified storage solution won CRN's 2011 "Product of the Year" award in the storage category.
• VNXe is one of the most impressive new products of 2011 based on its technological innovation, market opportunity, and profitability to solution providers over the calendar year.

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) announced today the EMC® VNXe® unified storage solution won CRN's 2011 "Product of the Year" award in the storage category. This third annual list recognizes the most impressive new products of 2011 based on their ability to offer technological innovation, opportunity, and profitability to solution providers over the calendar year.

To determine this year's list, CRN editors collaborated with the CRN Test Center to evaluate the latest products to enter the market. Judges reviewed hundreds of innovative new products and pared the list down to those products that that added significant value to the end users, while making an immediate impact on the solution provider community.

CRN selected the VNXe, available only through EMC Velocity Solution Provider Program partners, as the storage product of the year for its ground-breaking design that delivers the world's most simple, efficient and affordable unified storage for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) and the IT generalist. The VNXe is the result of a multi-year development effort to design a product that specifically meets the needs of customers who require a cost effective solution with robust features. With an entry price of less than $10,000 (USD), its small form factor, management simplicity, unified multi-protocol architecture, and application aware management deliver the ideal consolidation/virtualization storage solution for SMB environments, mid-market companies, and enterprises where IT generalists need simple, efficient and affordable storage.

This recognition is the latest in a series of channel-related accolades EMC received in 2011. Five EMC executives were named to CRN's Top Channel Executives List, the EMC VNXe unified storage solution won CRN's 2011 Tech Innovator award in the storage category, and EMC was named CRN's "Company of the Year" in three ARC award categories – SMB Network Storage, Enterprise Network Storage and Backup & Recovery Software. This was EMC's first-ever inclusion and recognition in the SMB Network Storage category, a direct result of the VNXe launch in January and its successful channel-centric go-to-market strategy. CRN UK also recognized EMC as Storage Vendor of the Year.

Doug Wood, EMC Senior Vice President, Entry Systems and Software

"We are honored to receive this award. 2011 has been a game-changing year for EMC's unified storage and our channel partners. The VNXe delivers uncompromised simplicity, efficiency and affordability that provide our channel partners with the most comprehensive entry unified storage solution in the market. We're also giving our partners easy and efficient marketing tools and training resources to help them develop their business and expand their markets with the VNXe. The combination of EMC's best in class products and partner program open up unparallel opportunities for new and existing partners."

Kelley Damore, Vice President and Editorial Director for UBM Channel

"Today's IT solution providers agree that choosing a vendor partner can be challenging. So before forming any major partnerships, they want to be sure they're offering the best products possible to their customers. This year's "Products of the Year" list helps our audience cut through all the noise and focus on new technologies that offer new and exciting opportunities, while raising the bar in terms of technical excellence. We congratulate this EMC and applaud its positive contribution to the IT industry."

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