NetApp announces new partner program with NetApp Partner Sphere

NetApp®, a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, has announced plans to launch a new partner program in fiscal year 2024 (FY’24). NetApp Partner Sphere is the next step in the evolution of NetApp’s market-leading Unified Partner Program.

Partners who can drive digital and cloud transformation are well positioned to capture market share; however, this necessitates modern business models with highly specialized services and capabilities that support the entire customer journey. The new NetApp Partner Sphere, which is cloud-focused and services-led, provides a flexible path to advancement and growth for all partner sales motions. This program enables partners to evolve their business in the cloud by consolidating and simplifying multiple programs into one that includes all partner types, business models, and routes to market.

The program provides robust training and support to assist partners in capturing cloud market share, as well as new validation, recognition, and rewards for partners’ investments in competencies and services, and the accelerated growth structure enables partners to provide transformational value to joint customers. 

“NetApp is committed to driving a partner-first culture, and the strategy behind our new partner program brings that commitment to life,” said Maya Zakhour, Director Channel Sales – EEMI (Eastern Europe, META, Iberia & LATAM) at NetApp. “With NetApp Partner Sphere, we’re accelerating growth and customer success across our partner ecosystem by extending their reach into the cloud and offering more business opportunities with our industry-leading portfolio and flexible consumption models.”

Furthermore, the program provides partners with simplified, flexible, progressive tiering with clear criteria that they can follow across objective thresholds. The program’s tiers are Approved, Preferred, Prestige, and Prestige Plus, and they assess, validate, and recognize partners based on value and competencies in order to identify the right partners for the right customer opportunities. Benefits and support will expand as partners advance through the tiers, with the most impactful partners receiving the most comprehensive and customized benefits, such as solution-specific marketing campaigns and enablement, proposal-based market development funds, and preferred value-based incentives.

NetApp will use Solution Competencies aligned to key NetApp focus areas – Cloud Solutions, Hybrid Cloud, and AI & Analytics – instead of Specializations to identify partner capabilities as part of these strategic changes. These skills will be part of the NetApp Partner Sphere program requirements. By the end of the calendar year, partners will be able to begin earning associated competencies within each category, demonstrating their ability to deliver customer success across the NetApp portfolio.

With NetApp Partner Sphere, partners can expect:

• A simple framework supporting each partner’s unique go-to-market strategy, providing flexibility and automation to ease partner processes, and consistency for all partners and sales motions from a single program with clear tiers and objectives.
• Transformative training, tools and support to activate their work in the hybrid multi-cloud market, enabling and building partner services and solutions competencies.
• Differentiation with partners distinguished, highlighted and endorsed by their Solution Competencies and services on NetApp Partner Connect to promote each partner’s go-to-market approach.
• Accelerated cloud growth leveraging NetApp’s in-demand portfolio to fuel opportunities for value-add partner-led services and co-innovation, improving profitability and maximizing partner ROI with progressive tiers. 

Implementation of the NetApp Partner Sphere program will begin in NetApp FY’24.