New Route To Market: How Channel Programs Are Adapting To The Rise Of Cloud Marketplaces
As part of the CRN Partner Program Guide evaluation, channel executives were asked about how they are adapting their partner programs given the rise of cloud marketplaces. Here’s what 20 had to say.
Adapting To The Cloud Marketplace
The rise of online marketplaces, including those operated by the cloud hyperscalers, is changing the channel landscape with both IT vendors and solution providers having to adapt to this new way for customers to acquire and consume IT products and services.
Many channel companies are looking to the IT companies they have strategic partnerships with to help them navigate this new way of doing business.
That’s why as part of the CRN Partner Program Guide we asked IT companies the question: How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
In the following slides we provide the answers that 20 of the 250 IT vendors who submitted applications for this year’s Partner Program Guide provided to that question.
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 outlining all aspects of their partner programs. Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at CRN.com.
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.
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 startups.
Acer
Program Name: Acer Accelerate Partner Program
Channel Chief: Jennifer Wadland, Vice President, U.S. Commercial Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=4
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
The Acer Accelerate Partner Program adapts to cloud marketplaces by enhancing digital experiences, offering more growth opportunities, exclusive reward incentives, and robust sales support. This strategy ensures resellers can effectively leverage cloud marketplaces for increased sales and success.
ArmorPoint
Partner Program Name: ArmorPoint Partner Program
Channel Chief: Ashley Capps, Interim Chief Revenue Officer
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=18
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
As cloud marketplaces gain prominence, we are adapting our channel strategy by modifying pricing models to be more e-commerce friendly. This adjustment aims to simplify the buying process, making it easier for partners to engage and transact within these platforms.
Broadcom
Program Name: Broadcom Advantage Partner Program
Channel Chief: Brian Moats, Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Sales and Partners
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=36
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Broadcom Advantage Partner Program
We provide marketplace-ready SKUs within our channel price book, giving our partners the flexibility to leverage these where needed when working with hyperscalers or MSPs and having parity on pricing across different routes for consistency to avoid any route-to-market conflict.
Cloudera
Program Name: Cloudera Partner Network (CPN)
Channel Chief: Michelle Hoover, Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Small & Medium Business
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=44
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Cloudera's channel program is focused on the development of relationships with Amazon, Microsoft and Google Cloud. By focusing on partners that are certified in delivering migration services, selling through marketplaces and delivering GenAI use cases, Cloudera can better innovate its own program.
Dynabook Americas
Program Name: Channel Partner Alliance Program
Channel Chief: Marc Sarver, Senior Director, Channel Marketing, Partnerships and Alliances
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=81
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Dynabook adapted by offering specialized training in hybrid and private cloud technologies, co-branded campaigns, and AI-enabled marketing tools. These initiatives empower partners to succeed in the cloud marketplace while maintaining a strong foothold in the hardware domain. Resources focus on flexibility, innovation, and customer success in transitioning to the cloud.
Forcepoint
Partner Program Name: Forcepoint Global Strategic Partner Program
Channel Chief: Tim Puccio, Global Channel Chief
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=96
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Our program recognizes and rewards partners for embracing the rise of cloud marketplaces, which we see as a win-win-win opportunity. By fostering three-way collaboration between our partners and hyperscalers, we've updated the program to acknowledge and incentivize transactions involving our software via marketplaces, driving mutual success and growth.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Program Name: HPE Partner Ready Vantage
Channel Chief: Simon Ewington, Senior Vice President, HPE Worldwide Channel & Partner Ecosystem Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=109
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
HPE delivered an extension to our program to effectively support partners who develop, sell and deliver hybrid cloud. We provide a variety of sales, executive and transformation workshops for partners to create their as-a-service solutions, deliver their branded services on our technology and sell these unique solutions in cloud markets.
Infoblox
Program Name: Infoblox Skilled to Secure Trusted Partner Program
Channel Chief: Chris Millerick, Vice President of Worldwide Partner Sales and Alliances
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=120
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
We have modernized our partner incentives to align with this exciting, customer-focused procurement approach. Specifically, we have incentivized partners to close opportunities through AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud marketplaces as part of our new Elite Partner Rewards and Recognition program.
Intermedia Cloud Communications
Program Name: Intermedia Champions
Channel Chief: Jonathan McCormick, COO and Head of Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=124
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
We continue to evolve our program to help partners stand out in cloud marketplaces with integrated UCaaS/CCaaS white-label solutions and customizable branding. Our flexible approach emphasizes partner differentiation, training, and scalable solutions, empowering them to maintain ownership of customer relationships and capture new opportunities as businesses migrate to the cloud.
Nextiva
Program Name: Nextiva Partner Program
Channel Chief: Scott Forbush, Channel Chief
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=154
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Our channel program is evolving to support the rise of cloud marketplaces by enhancing co-sell opportunities and aligning incentive structures to reward marketplace-driven sales. We're empowering partners to capitalize on cloud opportunities, increase revenue, and expand their reach through these platforms, ensuring success in the growing cloud ecosystem.
Nutanix
Program Name: Elevate Partner Program
Channel Chief: Dave Gwyn, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=158
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
We see the rise of cloud marketplaces as an opportunity, not a threat. Nutanix is available on Azure and AWS marketplaces today, and our Elevate program ensures partner marketplace transactions are treated identically to traditional transactions. We're also focused on partner enablement to help partners build their own marketplace services.
Okta
Partner Program Name: Okta Elevate
Channel Chief: Rich Figer, Vice President, Americas Partners & Alliances
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=161
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Okta offers its products on the AWS marketplace and supports its partners with various transaction methods, including CPPO and DSOR. Through our Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS, we've invested in co-sell activities and offer benefits for partners leveraging the marketplace.
Ooma
Program Name: Ooma Partner Program
Channel Chief: Kathy Mazza, Head of Channel Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=163
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Ooma is developing partner marketplace ordering capabilities for our Ooma Office solutions as well as Ooma AirDial for POTS replacement. We currently have listings in many marketplaces that drive back to a quote team. We hope to fully automate this functionality with partner click-to-buy.
Parallels
Program Name: “Elevate Now” Parallels Partner Program
Channel Chief: Michelle Chiantera, CRO
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=168
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Our new channel program is adapted to the rapidly evolving market by providing extra focus to resellers who hunt for net-new opportunities on the cloud marketplaces via specific deal registration incentives and marketing campaigns.
Proofpoint
Partner Program Name: Proofpoint Element Partner Program
Channel Chief: Blake Salle, Senior CRO
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=173
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
In 2024 we introduced AWS as a route to market for our channel partners and we continue to expand our marketplace presence with our distributors such as Ingram's Xvantage platform.
Schneider Electric
Program Name: mySchneider IT Partner Program
Channel Chief: Gordon Lord, Vice President, U.S. Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=190
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
We are adapting to the rise of cloud marketplaces by digitizing our supply chain and transitioning to recurring revenue models that align with the digital marketplace experience. We are also looking to enable more digital content and focus on performance to enhance profitability.
SentinelOne
Partner Program Name: SentinelOne PartnerOne Program
Channel Chief: Brian Lanigan, Senior Vice President, Global Partner Ecosystem & Emerging Product Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=196
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
SentinelOne has made significant investments in the past year to support the marketplace motion with tools and personnel worldwide. In addition, SentinelOne exclusively leverages the Channel Partner Private Offer program, along with other internal incentives, to ensure partners are rewarded for their efforts.
Splunk, a Cisco Company
Program Name: Splunk Partnerverse Program
Channel Chief: Gretchen O’Hara, Vice President, Worldwide Partners and Alliance
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=210
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Splunk has a robust marketplace strategy. Splunk Cloud via marketplace is available in AWS and Google Cloud and [in 2024] we expanded into Microsoft Azure. The Partnerverse Program recognizes and rewards Partner transactions through marketplaces with additional incentives for on-prem to cloud migrations.
Tanium
Partner Program Name: Tanium Partner Advantage Program
Channel Chief: Tony Beller, Global Channel Chief, SVP Partner Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=218
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
Tanium understands the purchase benefits for partners and customers from the rise of cloud marketplaces, including Azure MPO and AWS. In our channel programs, we offer programmatic pricing and qualification towards partners' tier requirements performance goals regardless whether they fulfill through a cloud marketplace, distributor, or directly with Tanium.
Xcitium
Partner Program Name: Xcitium Xcelerate Partner Program
Channel Chief: Dani Pickens, Vice President of Channel Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2025-details?c=243
How is your channel program adapting/changing its strategy given the rise of cloud marketplaces?
We're actively pursuing and executing unique partnerships to integrate marketplace options into our offerings, ensuring partners can seamlessly deliver solutions through flexible subscription models. By aligning our enablement, pricing, and support strategies with cloud marketplaces, we empower partners to meet evolving customer demands, maintain high margins, and deliver exceptional service.
