NetApp to launch NetApp Partner Sphere program in FY ‘24

NetApp has announced its intent to launch a new partner program in NetApp fiscal year 2024 (FY’24). NetApp Partner Sphere is the evolution of NetApp's industry-leading Unified Partner Program.

The new cloud-focused and services-led NetApp Partner Sphere delivers a flexible path to advancement and growth for all partner sales motions. By consolidating and simplifying multiple programs into one that includes all partner types, business models and routes to market, this program enables partners to evolve their business in the cloud.

The program offers robust training and support to help partners capture cloud market share, brings new validation, recognition and rewards for partners’ investments in competencies and services, and the accelerated growth structure allows partners to contribute 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 Jenni Flinders, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Partner Organization 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.”

“We are in a data-driven, digital world where enterprises face constant challenges harnessing the cloud,” said Sanjay Rohatgi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp Asia Pacific. “A strong and energized partner ecosystem well-versed in the cloud will play a key role in leading them down a path of true business impact. By appropriately incentivizing and upskilling our partners, NetApp Partner Sphere will fuel our collective innovation in the cloud and customers’ transformation journeys.

In addition, the program offers simplified, flexible, progressive tiering with clear criteria that partners can follow across objective thresholds. The program’s tiers range from Approved, to Preferred, to Prestige, to Prestige Plus – assessing, validating and recognizing partners based on value and competencies, in order to identify the right partners for the right customer opportunities. Benefits and support will grow as partners ascend tiers, with the partners generating the most impact seeing the broadest and most customized benefits, including solution specific marketing campaigns and enablement, proposal-based market development funds, and preferred value-based incentives.

As part of these strategic changes NetApp will shift away from Specializations to identify partner capabilities and utilize Solution Competencies aligned to key NetApp focus areas - Cloud Solutions, Hybrid Cloud and AI & Analytics. These competencies will be included in the NetApp Partner Sphere program requirements. Partners will be able to begin earning associated competencies within each category, showcasing their ability to deliver customer success across the NetApp portfolio by the end of the calendar year.

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.