Dicker Data AU Blog

Cisco’s AI Rally Kit Delivers High-Performance AI Without The Engineering Pain

techpartner.news — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:50:12 GMT

Building AI solutions that are fit for enterprises and service providers is a complex and costly endeavour. It depends on finding the right pieces of a hardware puzzle that integrate with each other and don’t create processing or storage bottlenecks. And even once you know what the pieces are, putting them together in a cost-effective way that ensures a return on investment can be a tough bridge to cross.

Cisco’s CTO, Ed Green, was formerly the Head of Commercial Technology for Formula One giants McLaren Racing. He says there are some important lessons from his time there ensuring some of the world’s fastest cars made it around the track that can be applied to commercial enterprises looking to deploy AI solutions.

“F1 has such distilled objectives. You must deliver high performance to the car and help fund a race team. You've got to show up and be ready,” he says.

Supporting McLaren Racing’s Formula One operations meant processing more than 200 million data points from over 300 sensors in near real time. That data helped inform driver guidance and pit‑crew decisions, while tyre‑focused camera imagery added further insight into vehicle performance under intense acceleration and braking.

The challenge was not just performance; it was performance within constraints. Like any enterprise or service provider, Green’s team needed a technology stack that could deliver speed, reliability and insight while staying within a regulated budget.

Dicker Data was selected by Cisco to bring the AI Rally Kit to market. As the only platform of its type deployed in the region, the AI Rally Kit enables service providers and enterprises Channel partners and their customers the opportunity to test their AI solutions on a platform that has been specifically designed and tested to handle AI workflows and applications.

Simon Miceli, the Managing Director for Cloud & AI Infrastructure APJC at Cisco, says “Successful AI adoption isn't just about access to GPUs. It's about having a secure, full stack architecture that allows you and your customers to support a broad range of different use-cases.”

The AI Rally Kit, which was launched to partners at Dicker Data Innovation at Full Speed Event in Melbourne, brings a technology stack that is purpose-made to enable organisations to run their AI workloads. Rather than needing to assemble, test and integrate different hardware, the AI Rally Kit delivers a platform that enables organisations to run their AI workloads without the pain of creating an AI-ready platform.

“We had to make some strategic bets about how to create a scalable platform. We partnered with Dicker Data because their scale and reach are unmatched. We know that we have full buy-in of their team here to make this a success,” says Miceli.

The rise of AI represents a pivotal moment for organisations Miceli adds, likening it to the industrialisation of the internet.

“The internet democratised access to information. AI democratises access to intelligence,” he says.

The AI Rally Kit is not just a hardware stack. It also includes a full suite of management, monitoring and optimisation tools to ensure the environment is tuned for specific workloads.

“Many enterprise customers don't have a history in high-performance computing, and some of the technologies that exist in that space that become relevant for AI workloads,” explains Chris Gascoigne, Principal Architect for the APJC Cloud Infrastructure and Software Group at Cisco. “We came at this from the perspective of helping customers have a simpler experience deploying and operating the infrastructure for AI so that they can get the time to value down as low as possible.”

Rodney Hamill, the Managing Director – Partners and Routes to Market Sales ANZ at Cisco says “Partners can now work with Cisco and Dicker Data to see their AI vision come to life, this investment provides the canvas for partners to explore the art of the possible”

AI capacity is a strategic utility according to Vlad Mitnovetski, Dicker Data’s Executive Director and COO.

“It's like electricity. You won't be able to change the mindset of how to operate the business without access to that strategic utility. We now have access to that incredibly important utility. My message is simple. We have invested heavily with Cisco. It's hosted in Australia for you to run your models, experiment and drive intelligent use-case systems.”

As one of Australia’s leading distributors, Dicker Data is providing local partners with the opportunity to test their AI workloads on the AI Rally Kit.

As an added incentive, Dicker Data is offering a $35,000 total prize pool for the top three AI solutions developed using the AI Rally Kit, with first prize valued at $20,000. Expressions of interest will remain open until July 2026.

Find out more here: https://www.dickerdata.com.au/ai-rally-kit-partner-use-case-challenge

Meet the Team: Amir Kalil - Senior Business Manager & AI Practice Lead

Dicker Data — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Few people have a better view of where the technology industry is heading than Amir Kalil. Having worked across some of Dicker Data's most strategic vendor relationships for years, he's now helping partners prepare for what comes next.

“I wear a few hats. I’ve been looking after our Dell Technologies business for a number of years now, and I also manage NVIDIA and VAST Data while leading our AI Practice.”

Right now, much of that focus is centred on helping partners prepare for what's next.

“My priority at the moment is scaling AI Accelerate and making sure our partners are well-positioned for the AI infrastructure wave.”

But Amir believes the opportunity extends beyond customer solutions.

"It's important to think about AI not just as an opportunity for your customer base, but as something that can transform your own organisation."

There's no single path forward, and where partners fit depends on their strengths.

"It's broad, and where partners play depends on their strengths. There are opportunities in consulting and helping customers identify areas for transformation. There are opportunities in data readiness, making sure whatever technology is deployed is built on solid foundations. Then there's the deployment and management of the infrastructure itself."

With so many avenues available, Amir encourages partners to identify where they can make the biggest impact.

"I think it's important that partners identify where they want to play in the sales cycle and focus on getting really good at that."

That's where we come in.

"Dicker Data recognises partners are all at different stages of their journey, and we meet them where they are. If they need help with consulting, data readiness or product engineering, we can augment their capabilities through our network of specialists. If they need help upskilling on infrastructure, we can support that alongside our vendor partners."

Underpinning all of this is a strong sense of purpose.

"We're an Australian organisation. That really matters to me. We're uniquely invested in the success of Australian businesses because this is our home. While we're very much the underdog compared to the global distributors, we punch above our weight, and that's a team I'm proud to be part of."

So, what advice does he have for partners? Start now.

"Don't wait for perfection before you start having conversations with your customers. No one is an expert right now, so don't wait until you are, because if you're not talking to them, someone else will be."

Outside of infrastructure, partner conversations and emerging technologies, life is a little less strategic.

"I've got two young boys, so my free time is very much limited right now. Before that, I followed a few passions, mainly rock climbing and long multi-day hiking and camping trips. Now I just go to kids' sports and birthday parties where I have awkward conversations with other parents."

His conversations with Dicker Data partners, however, are anything but awkward. This isn't a space that's slowing down, and neither are the opportunities around it. With Amir helping lead the way, Dicker Data is supporting partners to navigate what's next and turn momentum into meaningful outcomes.

Connect with the Dicker Data team to learn more about our AI practice.

Want to meet more of our Dicker Data team? Read more here

Key IT Trends for 2026 and How Dicker Data & Dell Technologies Can Help You Stay Ahead

Narelle Sindos — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:00:01 GMT

The pace of change in 2026 isn’t slowing down. Across the Australian market, partners are navigating a combination of evolving customer expectations, increasing pressure to deliver outcomes, and rapid shifts in technology, particularly across AI, infrastructure, and hybrid environments.

Identity Resilience: The Conversation Your Customers Aren’t Having, But You Should Be

david.vogt@dickerdata.com.au (David Vogt) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:50:31 GMT

Identity has become the most important and most overlooked layer in cybersecurity today. For partners, it’s also one of the biggest opportunities to lead more strategic conversations, strengthen customer relationships, and unlock new revenue streams.

At Dicker Data, we’re seeing a clear shift across the channel. Customers are still investing heavily in prevention. More tools, more controls, more policies. But when you step back and ask a simple question “What happens if identity is compromised?” the room usually goes quiet.

That gap between perceived protection and actual resilience is where partners can step in and lead.

EOFY Advantage: Powering the Next Era of Work with HP + Intel® Core™ Ultra

tillie.riley@dickerdata.com.au (Tillie Riley) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:49:05 GMT

At Dicker Data, EOFY is more than a buying cycle. It is when partners can help customers reset, refresh and realign their technology foundations for what comes next.

Meet the Team: Omar Hussein - Data Centre Practice Manager

Dicker Data — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 22:01:46 GMT

What do data centres and fresh bread have in common? For Omar Hussein, it’s all about building from scratch. As Dicker Data’s Data Centre Practice Manager, he’s spent more than a decade helping partners bring complex IT environments together, applying the same practical, hands-on mindset he once used running a bakery on the Central Coast.

His path into IT wasn’t traditional. After studying economics and agriculture, an opportunity at IBM set him on a different course, eventually leading to distribution and to Dicker Data. Today, his role spans data centre infrastructure, networking and edge technologies, evolving alongside both the industry and his own career.

“My role has evolved over the years from a focus on storage into a broader scope that includes networking and end-to-end infrastructure. Today, I’m involved in everything from data centres to campus environments and edge technologies like Wi-Fi. At its core, my role is about bridging sales and technical, helping design and configure solutions that bring the whole environment together.”

As environments become more complex, that ability to connect technologies has only grown in importance.

“Everything is more interconnected than ever. Storage, servers, networking, Wi-Fi and cabling all need to work together seamlessly, so having that end-to-end view is critical when designing solutions.”

Within that, Omar plays a key role in helping partners navigate complexity with confidence, drawing on Dicker Data’s breadth of vendors and expertise.

“What makes Dicker Data stand out is the ability to bring together a wide range of vendors, technologies and services in one place. It gives us the flexibility to shape solutions around what the partner and customer actually need. When partners are faced with a lot of choice, our job is to simplify that. We work closely with them to narrow down the options and design a solution that delivers the best outcome.”

Whether it’s collaborating across Business Units or combining complementary technologies, the focus is always on making things easier for partners.

“It’s about bringing everything together so it’s ready to go. When a solution is designed, configured and aligned from the start, it makes it much easier for partners to procure, deploy and deliver for their customers.”

That same thinking applies as conversations shift towards AI, where many partners are still working out where to start.

“Our advice is to start with the outcome. Once you understand what the customer is trying to achieve, we can help map the right combination of hardware and software to support that. AI solutions rely on multiple components coming together, including compute, storage and networking. With access to leading vendors across all of these areas, we’re in a strong position to help partners bring those pieces together in a practical way.”

It’s this ability to connect people, technology and expertise that Omar believes sets Dicker Data apart.

“We work across a broad ecosystem, and that means we can pull in the right expertise at the right time. It’s less about individual silos and more about delivering a complete solution for the partner.”

Outside of work, that mindset of building and creating continues. A father of twins, Omar enjoys exploring rural Australia and maintaining a connection to his agricultural roots, growing his own vegetables and embracing a farm-to-plate approach.

“At one stage, my wife and I ran a bakery on the Central Coast, making fresh bread and sandwiches every day. It’s something I’d love to revisit down the track.”

From building infrastructure to baking bread, Omar’s approach is grounded in bringing the right elements together to create something that works and works well.

Connect with the Dicker Data team to see how we can help you design and deliver your next solution.

Want to meet more of our Dicker Data team? Read more here

Why We’re Backing Cisco Scale Growth in Australia

vickie.madeleine@dickerdata.com.au (Vickie Madeleine) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:42:17 GMT

At Dicker Data, we see Australia’s small and mid-market segment as one of the most important growth engines in the channel today. That is why we are continuing to invest in the programs, capability and support to help our partners win more business and deliver stronger customer outcomes with Cisco.

Building AI-Powered Meeting Rooms: The Untapped Opportunity for Partners

andrew.upshon@dickerdata.com.au (Andrew Upshon) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT

How many meeting rooms in your organisation have no technology or have old technology in them? Across ANZ workplaces, meeting rooms remain one of the most underutilised technology investments and one of the biggest missed opportunities for partners.

From Hype to Real Impact: My Takeaways from Dell Technologies World 2026

amir.kalil@dickerdata.com.au (Amir Kalil) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Being on the ground in Las Vegas for Dell Technologies World 2026, one thing became clear almost immediately. The conversation around AI has fundamentally shifted.

The Cloud Cost Conversation That Wins You More Business

simon.banks@dickerdata.com.au (Simon Banks) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 22:28:21 GMT

Most businesses connect to cloud over the public internet by default - not by design. For partners selling datacentre infrastructure, that gap is one of the most overlooked revenue opportunities in the market right now.