2024 Partner Program Guide: 5-Star Data Storage And Backup Vendor Programs
As part of the annual Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some vendor channel programs as 5-Star Programs. Here are the 5-Star Programs among data storage and backup vendors for 2024.
Partner Programs That Have Your Back(up)
Many businesses today consider data to be one of their most important assets. Data plays an important role in operational efficiency and digital transformation initiatives. Sometimes data is the product businesses provide or is a key component of their offered services.
Products and services for storing and protecting data and backing it up in case of system failure or disaster is big business for the channel. Many solution providers partner with IT vendors that provide products and services around data storage, backup and recovery. And that makes those IT companies’ partner programs critical to solution providers’ success.
The CRN 2024 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the IT vendors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors – more than 280 this year – outlining all aspects of their partner programs.
As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, resources, training, services and benefits.
Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees in the data storage and backup space. Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at CRN.com.
Slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series running this week include companies that provide products and services in cloud platforms and infrastructure, devices and peripherals, data storage and backup, networking and unified communications, security, software, and systems and data center, in addition to 5-Star partner programs operated by emerging vendors.
While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slide show for the technology category in which they are most prominent.
Acronis
Program Name: Acronis #CyberFit Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2020
Channel Chief: Alex Ruslyakov, Channel Chief
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Service Providers and VARs now have simplified partner program requirements. Consumption-based partners (PayG) can now reduce operational costs and drive business growth with benefits. Metal partners gain financial perks, and cybersecurity advocates receive a special rebate. An enhanced program for cloud distributors with generous margins, acknowledging contributions and new solution provider recruits.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=4
Arcserve
Program Name: Arcserve Partner Success Program
Year Program Established: 2009
Channel Chief: Vitali Edrenkine, EVP, Worldwide Marketing
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Arcserve recognized the importance of tailoring its approach to each target market, further refining the structure of its program to align with changes in the channel ecosystem, ensuring that Arcserve resources are appropriately allocated. Accordingly, the company continued to adjust its sales teams for improved partner sales and marketing enablement.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=14
Cohesity
Program Name: Cohesity Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2017
Channel Chief: Mark Conley, VP, Americas Channel Sales
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Cohesity Professional Services (PS) Authorization was added as a second pathway to achieve the highest level, Premier, in the company’s partner program supporting partners who have a professional services business model. The Cohesity Aces Program was launched, creating a targeted community of pre-sales technical professionals.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=53
Commvault
Program Name: Commvault Partner Advantage Program
Year Program Established: 2014
Channel Chief: Alan Atkinson, Chief Partner Officer
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Increased lucrativeness for companies and individual sellers, rewarding the company’s most invested partners for doing business with Commvault. Partner Advisory Boards, instrumental in enhancing the structure of the Partner Advantage Program. Significant investments in partner enablement and certification, offering the strongest opportunity for success in selling Commvault.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=55
DDN
Program Name: PartnerLink
Year Program Established: 2000
Channel Chief: Matt Kreider, Director, Strategic Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Updated the partner portal, increased access to partner training via the portal, and provided partners with an incentive program.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=76
Druva
Program Name: Druva Partner+ Program
Year Program Established: 2023
Channel Chief: Mike Houghton, SVP, Global Partners and Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: In 2023, Druva upgraded its Compass Partner Program, now called Partner+ Program. This enhanced partner offerings and benefits, covering enablement, onboarding, activation, incentives, and MDF under one program. With Partner+, partners enjoy extended benefits and get rewarded for business via any route – resell, alliances, distribution, MSP, and Marketplace.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=85
ExaGrid
Program Name: ExaGrid Reseller Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2008
Channel Chief: Andy Walsky, VP, International Sales
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: ExaGrid brought a number of large regional, super-regional and national partners to their pay-or-play programs. The company increased reseller training and relationship building events to over 150 per quarter.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=93
Infinidat
Program Name: Infinidat Channel Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2015
Channel Chief: Eric Herzog, CMO
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: New global Infuziast Certification. In-depth learning and understanding of the company’s core values and solutions – a requirement passing at 80 percent or higher. More modules are on the way in 2024. Rich incentives reward partner reps/SEs for new accounts/competitive take-outs.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=123
NetApp
Program Name: NetApp Partner Sphere
Year Program Established: 2023
Channel Chief: Jenni Flinders, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: NetApp launched a transformative partner program that provides partners with significant services and margin opportunities and incentives and investments that reward for successful business outcomes, with a focus on flash, AI and cloud. It supports multiple selling motions, and Solution Competencies and Services Certified tracks that align with company focus areas.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=163
Pure Storage
Program Name: Pure Storage Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2012
Channel Chief: Wendy Stusrud, VP, Global Partner Sales
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Building services around Pure Storage's expanded Evergreen//One STaaS offering, further establishing key design principles to work closely with partners to deliver the best outcomes to customers, continued program expansion - including Pure's Service Specialization Program - to enable partner-branded professional/support services for Pure's technology, and advancement of frictionless selling initiatives.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=190
Quantum
Program Name: Quantum Alliance
Year Program Established: 2002
Channel Chief: Guillaume Crapart, VP, Global Channels
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Quantum increased incentives for targeted products delivering enhanced customer value with software subscriptions. The company added two new pre-configured bundle programs to help the channel more easily configure and order Quantum storage products.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=192
RackTop Systems
Program Name: RackTop channel Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2018
Channel Chief: Frank Russell, Director, Channel
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: RackTop Systems ramped up its partners to meet product certifications and training requirements. SPIF incentive programs resulted in a significant increase in qualified deals and a robust pipeline. The company also launched a private LinkedIn partner group, Channeling Cyberstorage with virtual sessions. In Q1, the company will announce our first partner awards program.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=195
Rubrik
Program Name: Rubrik Transform Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2023
Channel Chief: Ghazal Asif, VP, Global Channels, Alliances & Inside Sales
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: The Rubrik Transform Partner Program introduced a points-based scoring system allowing partners to accelerate their status by demonstrating success against a series of value-add activities including sourcing net-new logos to Rubrik and hosting partner enablement and customer demand generation events.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=202
StorMagic
Program Name: StorMagic Channel Program
Year Program Established: 2015
Channel Chief: Brian Grainger, President, CRO
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: In 2023, StorMagic revamped to be more inclusive for not just the largest but also the smaller niche VARs that focus on specialized edge solutions. The company expanded its distribution channel globally to help further support these smaller SMB/enterprise edge resellers, and to help deliver even better support services.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=237
Tintri by DDN
Program Name: Tintri Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2018
Channel Chief: Justin Jimenez, VP, Channels
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Working closer with Tintri’s distribution partners and getting deeper within their vendor business development services and offerings. This has helped expand and build existing and new reseller relationships.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=254
Unitrends, a Kaseya Company
Program Name: Unitrends Partner Program
Year Program Established: 2020
Channel Chief: Megan Schaller, Channel Marketing Director
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: In 2023, Unitrends dedicated itself to enhancing the Unitrends Partner Program. Expanding the company’s offerings with Kaseya's IT Complete portfolio, Unitrends provided resellers with access, consistent discounts and empowering enablement programs. The company revamped the Unitrends Partner Portal, amplified partner communications, and implemented monthly webinars, ensuring an enriched partnership experience.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=260
Veeam Software
Program Name: Veeam ProPartner Program for Veeam Value-Added Resellers
Year Program Established: 2006
Channel Chief: Larissa Crandall, VP, Global Channel and Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Expanding the ProPartner Network program to include competency badges and ensuring that partner enablement mapped to those competency badges was a huge initiative in 2023. This provides clear differentiators within the company’s partner community while giving organizations the confidence to choose the right partner based on their expertise.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=263
Veritas Technologies
Program Name: Veritas Partner Force
Year Program Established: 2015
Channel Chief: Mike Walkey, SVP, Global Channel & Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: Veritas introduced the Veritas Managed Service Provider Program. The purpose-built program offers MSPs a set of incentives, a wide range of training and enablement, and flexible pricing models to expand their offerings and capitalize on the growing demand for data protection and cloud-native cyber resilience solutions.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=268
Wasabi Technologies
Program Name: Wasabi Partner Network
Year Program Established: 2019
Channel Chief: Marty Falaro, COO
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: In 2023, Wasabi Technologies created a deal registration discount, available to all approved registered deals. Deals that are of a certain size and meet requirements can now get additional discounts, which the company says is a great way to provide price protection for partners who are working on Wasabi opportunities.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=274
Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Program Name: Zerto Alliance Partner (ZAP) Program
Year Program Established: 2012
Channel Chief: Nirmeet Gohil, Regional VP, Americas
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year: In 2023, Zerto enacted a partner program with rewards and benefits for the partners, launched a new logos program that encouraged partners to offer more security-based solutions and security services, introduced the ability to capture immediate revenue based on those services, and relaunched partner training and certification.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2024-details?c=281