The cloud storage and backup professionals at Mozy are diving deeper into the channel, with a major upgrade to its reseller program, including Mozy Reseller Portal 2.0, offering real-time cobranded marketing and sales materials and new lead management features including opportunity registration and lead sharing.

Three key improvements have been made to the portal, which Mozy launched in early 2011, including a cobranded marketing collateral tool that gives resellers the ability to create their own branded sales collateral, the ability to register opportunities and engage the Mozy sales team for support in closing deals, and lead-sharing and a marketing development funds (MDFs) program with marketing support for Platinum partners.

Also receiving an upgrade is the Mozy Accreditation Program, with new qualifying tiers and benefits for each: Silver Certified Reseller, Gold Certified Reseller and Platinum Partner. Gold Certified and Platinum Partner resellers are eligible for deeper discounts, co-marketing opportunities, regular contests and promotions, and in some cases, lead-sharing and MDFs. All resellers receive the ability to cobrand the Mozy online backup service with their company name in the product and Web system and on all marketing and sales collateral.

Mozy, which started its reseller program in 2006, has doubled its channel business over the past three years and boasts more than 5,000 resellers worldwide.

The company also announced partners now are able to offer MozyEnterprise, an enhanced version of Mozy designed for large companies needing advanced cloud-based functionality to securely back up data.

As businesses wrestle with the growing demands of secure, online data storage, maybe it’s time for VARs to think about getting cozy with Mozy.