Storage vendor, DataDirect Networks, has signed a services agreement with Computergate Australia as part of broader plans to establish a local channel.

Computergate provides a range of break/fix services for vendors that lack a local services infrastructure and works in tandem with any local distributors. Its managing director, Mario Greco, said DataDirect fitted into the same market space it typically operated in.

DataDirect provides high-end storage solutions for verticals requiring streaming data and large unstructured files.

DataDirect regional manager A/NZ, Joel Norton, said the Computergate partnership coincided with the release of its new entry-level product, S2A.

"We have a direct presence in Australia and our core product is too big and too niche to be channel friendly. The S2A product is relevant to enough of the market that I started looking at possible distributor partners," Norton said.

"We realised we needed infrastructure in place as we build up a channel. Partners will need some hand holding with this and Computergate was selected to be the break-fix part of this support."

Computergate's vendor list includes Tandberg, Rimage, Compellent, Adaptec and Intel.

"We are constantly looking for more vendor partners and not necessarily in the storage area - we recently signed a services contract for Intel Blade Servers," Greco said.