**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of recent channel-program changes you should know.**

SolidFire has added new specialization tiers to its Cloud Builder Partner Program that recognize its partners’ expertise in Virtualization, OpenStack, Agile Infrastructure and as a master cloud builder.

The tiers are available to partners at the platinum, national and gold levels who have proven advanced knowledge and met requirements that demonstrate their master-level capabilities.

Gregg Machon, SolidFire’s director of worldwide channels, tells Channel Partners about 40 partners will immediately benefit from the new tiers, “with the expectation another 25 silver-level partners will graduate to gold before year-end 2015 and be eligible to take advantage of these benefits.”

The Cloud Builder community has grown to 150 worldwide providers and VARs in less than 18 months.

“I’ve spent a great deal of time traveling globally to meet with partners and I’m more convinced than ever that the best partners want and expect five things from a manufacturing partner that I’ll call our business proposition: ability to differentiate through a compelling value proposition, ease of doing business, predictability, profit margin and ability to drive services,” Machon said. “SolidFire’s investment in these specializations is about aligning our partners’ needs and expectations with our program.”

Resellers, system integrators and distributors globally can realize new opportunities to profit on sales of SolidFire’s all-flash, scale-out information storage. Specialized partners also will receive sales and technical training in key areas, as well as rewards for impact in delivering the company’s storage offerings to market.

Exclusive Master Cloud Builder Specialization Partners have proven capabilities for building and deploying cloud-ready, integrated storage environments based on SolidFire’s Fueled by SolidFire Program. The Agile Infrastructure, Virtualization and OpenStack specializations are technical skill areas that help partners design and deliver complex offerings to meet their clients’ technical and business needs.

“We’re absolutely interested in partnering with best-in-class solutions providers, VARs and SIs, and if we unearth a few of these partners through these enhancements and announcements, that’s great,” Machon said. “If we can successfully cover our customers’ needs within a major metropolitan area or city with four to six partners, that’s our desire and model, as it affords us the ability to significantly invest more time, resources and dollars in those focused partners rather than taking a shotgun approach as is commonly seen within the storage space.”

Nearly 80 percent of SolidFire’s enterprise bookings have involved a Cloud Builder partner, while its service-provider business has accelerated to 50 percent channel contribution.

The Master Cloud Builder specialization changes how a storage company helps its partners go to market with hosting service providers, said Jad Jebara, CEO of Tuangru, a cloud-based software provider.

“The go-to-market, business consulting approach is a perfect extension of how Tuangru approaches our service-provider prospects and customers,” he said.