StorMagic Taps Sales Vet Scott Mann to Target Edge and VMware Exodus

BRISTOL, England – February 10, 2026 – StorMagic, a company specializing in simplified on-site virtualization, has appointed Scott Mann as its new Global SVP of Sales. The move is being interpreted by industry analysts as a decisive strategy to accelerate global growth by capitalizing on the significant disruption in the virtualization market and the rising demand for robust edge computing solutions.

Mann’s appointment comes at a critical juncture for the IT infrastructure world. With 15 years of sales leadership experience in virtualization, security, and hyperconverged infrastructure, he is tasked with scaling StorMagic’s channel-first go-to-market strategy. His extensive background, which includes a notable 11-year tenure at Scale Computing, positions him as a key figure in StorMagic's plan to offer a compelling alternative to enterprises reassessing their IT roadmaps.

“Scott brings extensive global experience leading international sales and channel teams, with a strong track record of scaling partner ecosystems and driving growth; making him a tremendous addition to the StorMagic team,” said Susan Odle, CEO of StorMagic. “StorMagic is excited to work closely with Scott to expand our reach in helping partners, help their customers, navigate VMware migration and hardware cost challenges with our simple, reliable and trusted virtualization software.”

A Market in Turmoil Creates Opportunity

The timing of Mann's hiring is no coincidence. It follows Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, a move that has sent shockwaves through the industry. In late 2023, Broadcom abruptly ended the sale of perpetual licenses for VMware products, forcing customers into a subscription-only model. This was coupled with a drastic consolidation of its product portfolio, eliminating standalone products and pushing customers toward larger, more expensive bundles like VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF).

The consequences have been immediate and severe. Reports from across the industry detail widespread customer dissatisfaction, with some organizations facing price hikes of over 100%, and anecdotal evidence suggesting increases as high as 1,200%. A late 2024 survey revealed that 99% of VMware customers were concerned about the acquisition's impact, and a staggering 98% were already using, planning to use, or actively considering alternative solutions. Market analysts at Gartner have projected that VMware's dominant market share in virtualization could plummet from 70% in 2024 to as low as 40% by 2029.

This market exodus has created a significant opening for companies like StorMagic, which has long positioned itself as a cost-effective, simple, and resilient alternative. The company's focus on predictable pricing and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO)—claiming reductions of up to 62% compared to VMware—directly addresses the primary pain points now driving customers to seek new options.

The New Channel Game Changer

To seize this opportunity, StorMagic is doubling down on its channel-first strategy, and Scott Mann is the designated architect of that expansion. His reputation precedes him; during his time at Scale Computing, he was credited with driving “astronomical channel sales growth” and directly competing with VMware in the hyperconverged space. His experience is seen as a “channel game changer” for StorMagic, reinforcing its commitment to its partner ecosystem.

Partners are the lifeblood of StorMagic’s business model, acting as the primary conduit to customers in diverse markets. By strengthening these relationships and expanding its global partner network, the company aims to become the go-to solution for managed service providers and value-added resellers whose clients are urgently seeking a path away from the uncertainty and rising costs of the new VMware landscape.

Mann’s mandate is to deepen these partner relationships and make it easier for them to bring StorMagic's solutions to a market hungry for practical alternatives. His arrival signals a concerted effort to not only provide a technical solution but also to build the robust sales and support infrastructure necessary to execute at a global scale.

Simplifying the Complex Edge

Beyond the VMware migration opportunity, StorMagic's core focus remains on the unique challenges of edge computing. The edge refers to computing done at or near the source of data, away from centralized cloud or corporate data centers. This includes environments like retail stores, manufacturing floors, remote branch offices, and even rugged locations like oil rigs or ships.

These sites often lack the physical space, on-site IT expertise, and large budgets characteristic of traditional data centers. StorMagic’s software, including its flagship SvSAN and SvHCI products, is purpose-built for these constraints. It is designed to be simple to deploy and manage remotely across thousands of locations, highly available to keep critical applications running, and lightweight enough to run on just two standard servers. This approach eliminates single points of failure and reduces hardware and operating costs significantly.

The company’s solutions are already proven in demanding sectors. A major U.S. retailer, for instance, relies on StorMagic to run operations across 6,400 locations. In manufacturing, its technology ensures mission-critical production lines don't suffer costly downtime. In healthcare, it provides the reliable, secure, and compliant infrastructure needed to manage growing data volumes from patient monitoring and medical devices in 24/7 environments.

As he steps into his new role, Mann is focused on communicating this value proposition clearly.

“StorMagic solves practical problems for customers at the edge with solutions that partners genuinely believe in and enjoy taking to market,” said Mann. “Our team is already focused on impact, deepening partner relationships, expanding globally and making it even easier for customers to succeed.”