Spanning Cloud Apps has hired a former Symantec (SYMC) executive as its first-ever channel chief, a reponsibility that had been previously fulfilled by Jeff Erramouspe, the company’s CEO.

On Wednesday, the Austin, Texas-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) backup company said Garrett Jones, who recently served as Symantec’s channel chief, where he lead the development of the company’s global channel strategy and redesigned its partner programs, will be leading the company’s channel efforts in his new role as vice president of sales.

Before Symantec, Jones worked at Dell, Inc. in several positions across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Asia-Pacific.

Jones shared his vision for Spanning’s channel partners in this exclusive interview with Talkin’ Cloud.

CJ: What stood out most about Spanning that made you want to tackle this opportunity?

GJ: When deciding my next career move, it was important for me to join a company that solves a particular customer need better than anyone else. After a rigorous evaluation process of the company and their solutions, I was extremely impressed by third party reviews of Spanning’s products compared to competitive offerings, but was even more impressed by the direct feedback from customers who are using the products.

Before my first interview, I read through more than 30 pages of five-star reviews on the Google Apps Marketplace. The almost fanatical customer advocacy makes it an easy decision for prospective customers to choose Spanning. And, the customer retention rate is unbelievable.

The other key factor in my decision was getting to know the leadership team through the recruitment process. Spanning has assembled a very talented team and has built a great company with a great culture in my hometown of Austin, Texas.

CJ: How will you apply your prior experience working with Symantec’s channel partners to Spanning’s channel strategy?

GJ: During my time at Symantec, I witnessed first hand the real value and power of the channel. Symantec has many extremely committed and very capable partners around the world that provide access to markets and add tremendous value to their joint customers.

I would not have joined Spanning if the company were not fully committed to a partner-first strategy. We are fortunate to have a number of strong partners today, and as we continue to experience rapid growth and expand into new markets, I will stay focused on developing more partnerships, and fostering deeper, more strategic relationships with our current channel partners.

CJ: How will running channels at Spanning be different than leading channel efforts at Symantec?

GJ: There are two key differences I am experiencing in my new role. First, we are simply at a different stage as a company and still in the process of building and expanding the channel. This is an exciting part of any company’s lifecycle. The energy and enthusiasm being generated by our existing and potential channel partners is contagious.

Additionally, a big difference is that Spanning’s portfolio is completely cloud-centric and subscription based. Many vendors are trying to balance and navigate the transition from a traditional on-premises and license model to SaaS offerings. I know first-hand that the transition phase can be a challenge. So, it’s nice to be uniquely positioned as a SaaS vendor and to be able to deliver immediate benefits for our customers in the cloud.

CJ: What are your key goals for Spanning’s channel for the rest of 2014?

GJ: First, we’ve identified a number of specific markets where we plan to onboard the right channel partners to facilitate business and deliver our growth potential.

But more broadly at the close of 2014, I want to hear from our resellers that they were able to build a strong and sustainable practice based on Spanning solutions. And, I want to hear that we did a great job in supporting them along the way. From helping them to generate leads, to enabling them during and after the sales process, I will make it my mission that Spanning plays a key role in making their businesses successful.

CJ: What challenges are Spanning’s channel partners facing, and how will you help partners overcome these challenges?

GJ: We are helping our partners transition their customers to the cloud with confidence. Just last week, we had a partner in our Austin office share some of the challenges he’s experienced in moving his customer’s most critical applications to the cloud. He told me that one of the best tools in his bag is his ability to reassure customers that their data is secure, their data is backed up, and most importantly, their data is easily accessible and recoverable directly into their production environment through Spanning Backup. He said, “I use your product to protect me and my reputation with my clients.” Since our mission is to be the most trusted provider of cloud-to-cloud backup and restore, it was great to hear this validation.

Ultimately, we want to enable our partners to do what they do best, provide amazing and reliable services to their customers in cloud-centric environments.

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