Pure Storage Augments Partner Program

Flash array startup Pure Storage has supplemented its year-old channel partner program with new features and benefits and added an 11-member partner advisory council to help shape its strategy and execution.

The company, which launched operations in August 2011, sells its enterprise-focused FlashArray mostly through channel partners. According to Pure Storage officials, in the year since inaugurating the Pure Storage Partner Program, the vendor has signed some 100 channel partners worldwide, achieved 125 percent consecutive quarter-over-quarter growth and gained a toehold in the EMEA and APAC geographic regions, signing notable partners such as Softcat in the United Kingdom, Antemeta in France and Tokyo Electron Device in Japan, among others.

“We are exceedingly proud of P3’s traction and successes over the past year. The response from industry leading VARs and distributor organizations has been extremely gratifying and validates that our decision to be 100 percent committed to the channel in our go-to-market strategy was the right one,” said David Hatfield, Pure Storage president.

In particular, Pure Storage believes that its new partner advisory council, which is an invitation-only group and has a strong international flavor, will help frame its channel and go-to-market strategies and tactics, provide input on partner sales and technical initiatives and be an active participant in product blueprint discussion sessions.

The vendor also made substantive additions to the structure of its channel partner program, including:

• Added a Silver and Gold tier. Partners earn more benefits and rewards by meeting sales and technical certification levels, taking part in demand generation programs and delivering pre- and post-sales value-added services.
• New rewards. The PureRewards program provides bonuses to partners delivering pre- and post-sales value-added services and includes tier-based deal registration discounts, competitive displacement perks, market development funds and incentives based on demand generation activities and additional demo seed units.
• New training. The PureAcademy is an online learning management system to on-board partners. It features sales and technical training videos (the same training offered to internal sales team) and mobile access and downloadable sales resources.
• New demand generation tools. The PureDemand offering is a suite of fully funded online and offline demand generation tools, included automated content syndication, co-brandable templates and campaigns and e-mail and call blitz appointment programs.

“We will continue to invest in the execution of our channel-led sales efforts, as we strive to be best in class across all enterprise storage companies,” said Hatfield. “We will we work closely with our newly formed partner advisory council to deliver next generation solutions that address customer pains like never before, and develop innovative sales and technical support tools that will support a thriving partner ecosystem.”