Flint offers a range of services designed to reduce cost, accelerate new technology reduction, and provide international scaling. One of the key offerings is the Data Centre Mentored Install Network Training (MINT) programme which focuses specifically on supporting the partner community to help them accelerate the adoption of new technologies.
The service combines Flint’s Premier Developer and Solutions Partner certifications with our training expertise to provide mentored services to the partner throughout the lifecycle of solution deployment.
As a result, the partner can launch services where they haven’t had the necessary experience in the past, gaining significant early adopter revenue streams and, over time, developing the independence and capability to carry out the services independently.
The end user recognises a reduced time to benefit from the accelerated introduction of the new technology and, as we utilise the skills of engineers who are both academically advanced (working with Learning@Cisco) and practically experienced, a lower level of risk.
Fully customisable MINT programmes
The introduction of new technology opens a world of new opportunities for your company, solving problems for existing customers, introducing new services and revenue streams, and reducing operating costs through streamlined or automated network operation. Flint’s MINT services support your chosen partner in implementing the new solution quickly and effectively. Working with your partner, we will take time to understand your business and operational requirements as well as your existing infrastructure and create, document, and present a design to address this. We will then implement and integrate the solution using the same engineering team that created the original design.
To ensure we have real-world experience in our customers’ multi-vendor environment we work hard to ensure our engineers are both, cross-trained in various technologies, domains and vendors’ equipment and have actual industry experience.
MINT is designed for Cisco customers who are looking to install and operate Cisco Data Center solutions such as Cisco HyperFlex, Cisco ACI, Cisco UCS, Cisco Nexus Dashboard, Cisco Intersight, Cisco Intersight Workload Optimizer, and Cisco Converged Solutions. The programme provides a comprehensive set of services that includes project scoping, design, installation, configuration, and knowledge transfer.
One of the key advantages of working with Flint is that our MINT programmes are fully customizable. While the basic scope is predefined to ensure that best practices and key objectives are covered, the exact delivery is tailored to the specific environment and requirements of each customer. This ensures that the optimal outcome of the service is achieved, meeting the unique needs of each customer.
On-the-job training to reach confidence and independence
Flint’s MINT program is ideal for Cisco partners who want to provide their customers with the best possible design and implementation experience. The program allows for on-the-job training (also known as shadowing), giving Cisco partners the opportunity to gain experience so they can then lead their next project independently and with confidence. Alternatively, Flint can provide a white-glove service where Flint does the design, installation, documentation, and training for the customer, allowing the Cisco partner not to spend any time on the project at all.
Flint has recently completed dozens of MINT programs for a variety of customers. Here are five examples:
- Flint designed a data centre refresh built around 11 Cisco Hyperflex clusters for a large international agency. The biggest challenge was very strict security requirements which had to be considered for implementation and operation.
- Design and implementation of two Cisco HyperFlex clusters for a global law firm. The company is using this data center platform to run Virtual Desktop Infrastructure using VMware Horizon.
- Flint helped a Cisco partner to expand a Cisco HyperFlex cluster for a football club. The challenge was that the original cluster was on obsolete versions of software and firmware. For that reason, Flint first upgraded the entire software stack, then performed the expansion, and lastly helped to migrate workloads from the old environment.
- Installation and integration of Cisco Intersight Private Virtual Appliance for a public investment fund. They are now using Intersight to monitor, upgrade, and generally operate their Cisco UCS infrastructure.
- Design and implementation of two Cisco HyperFlex stretched clusters for a large aluminum smelter company. This project also included migration and virtual machine conversion services from old infrastructure (Hyper-V and VMware) to new one (VMware).
In summary, the Data Centre MINT programme by Flint is an excellent choice for Cisco partners who are looking to design and install Cisco Data Centre solutions for their customers but lack in-house knowledge or resources. The programme provides a comprehensive set of services that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each customer. Whether a partner wants to learn on the project or just have a white-glove service for their customer, Flint’s MINT programme offers the flexibility to deliver the desired outcome. With a wealth of experience and expertise, Flint is well-positioned to help customers achieve their technology goals.
For more details, check out the MINT section on our website!
Get in touch, we are looking forward to hearing from you!
