2017 Partner Programs Guide: 5-Star Storage Vendors

Storage Industry Upheavals

Whoever could have guessed that storage IT could be so exciting? Close on the heels of Dell's blockbuster acquisition EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has moved to buy Nimble Storage for $1.09 billion. Flash storage array upstarts like Pure Storage, Tintri and Tegile Systems are challenging established vendors with disk-based storage systems. Hyper-converged system developers like Nutanix are challenging stand-alone storage system companies. And cloud storage service suppliers like Carbonite are challenging the very concept of storage "systems."

All these changes add up to a data storage market that's in a state of flux. That means challenges and opportunities for solution providers. It also means solution providers must be all the more demanding when deciding which vendors to partner with.

The 2017 CRN Partner Programs Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate IT vendors they work with or are considering working with. The guide is based on detailed applications vendors submitted outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

As part of the Partner Programs Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs.

Here we present the 5-Star designees in the storage technology space.

A10 Networks

Program Name: A10 Affinity Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2014

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Kirsten Young

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=1

APC by Schneider Electric

Program Name: APC Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1991

Number of North American Partners: 5,466

North American Channel Chief: Shannon Sbar

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=11

Arcserve, LLC

Program Name: Arcserve Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1995

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Michael Walsh

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=15

AT&T

Program Name: AT&T Alliance Program

Year Program Established: 1998

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Kevin Leonard

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=19

Avaya

Program Name: Avaya Edge

Year Program Established: 2016

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Gary Levy

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=22

Barracuda Networks

Program Name: Barracuda North America Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2004

Number of North American Partners: 6,224

North American Channel Chief: Ezra Hookano

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=24

Carbonite Inc.

Program Name: Carbonite Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Jessica Couto

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=40

Cisco Systems

Program Name: Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Program

Year Program Established: 2012

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Rick Snyder

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=49

Cisco Systems

Program Name: Cisco Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1996

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Rick Snyder

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=50

Citrix

Program Name: Citrix Partner Network

Year Program Established: 1989

Number of North American Partners: 2,579

North American Channel Chief: Rafael Garzon

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=51

Commvault

Program Name: Commvault Partner Advantage Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: David Fischer

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=55

DataCore Software

Program Name: DataCore Premier Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: 206

North American Channel Chief: Devi Madhavan

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=63

Datto Inc.

Program Name: Datto Global Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2017

Number of North American Partners: 3,950

North American Channel Chief: Rob Rae

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=64

Dell Inc.

Program Name: Dell EMC Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2017

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Greg Ambulos

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=66

Eaton

Program Name: PowerAdvantage Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2009

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Curtiz Gangi

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=75

ESET

Program Name: ESET Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2006

Number of North American Partners: 3,000

North American Channel Chief: Gerald Choung

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=78

Gigamon

Program Name: Gigamon Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2015

Number of North American Partners: 304

North American Channel Chief: Barbara Spicek

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=93

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Program Name: HPE Partner Ready

Year Program Established: 2002

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Scott Dunsire

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=98

HGST, a Western Digital Brand

Program Name: Our Partners First

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Nigel Edwards

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=99

Hitachi Data Systems

Program Name: Hitachi TrueNorth Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2003

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Jay McGloin

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=100

IBM

Program Name: PartnerWorld

Year Program Established: 1999

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Neal Callahan

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=102

IGEL North America

Program Name: IGEL Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Jed Ayres

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=104

Intel Corporation

Program Name: Intel Technology Provider Program

Year Program Established: 1980

Number of North American Partners: 24,000

North American Channel Chief: Todd Garrigues

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=112

Intronis MSP Solutions by Barracuda

Program Name: Intronis Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2008

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Neal Bradbury

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=116

Lenovo

Program Name: Lenovo Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2005

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Sammy Kinlaw

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=127

Maxta Inc.

Program Name: Maxta Value-Added Partner (MVP) Program

Year Program Established: 2015

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Steve Tiches

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=133

Mellanox Technologies

Program Name: Mellanox PartnerFIRST Program

Year Program Established: 2008

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Darrin Neil Chen

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=135

Microsoft Corporation

Program Name: Microsoft Partner Network

Year Program Established: 2010

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Stephen Boyle

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=136

Mimecast

Program Name: Mimecast Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 203

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Sean Broderick

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=137

NCR Corporation

Program Name: NCR Interact Channel Program

Year Program Established: 2009

Number of North American Partners: 264

North American Channel Chief: Michael Kozel

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=139

NetApp

Program Name: NetApp Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2002

Number of North American Partners: 1,274

North American Channel Chief: Bill Lipsin, VP, Global Channel

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=143

Nexsan

Program Name: Nexsan Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2001

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Tony Craythorne

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=144

Nimble Storage

Program Name: Nimble Storage Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2015

Number of North American Partners: 450

North American Channel Chief: Keith Macove

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=146

Nutanix, Inc.

Program Name: Nutanix Partner Network

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Chris Morgan

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=149

Oracle Corporation

Program Name: Oracle PartnerNetwork Program

Year Program Established: 1999

Number of North American Partners: 5,500

North American Channel Chief: Bill Swales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=153

Pivot3

Program Name: Pivot3 Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2014

Number of North American Partners: 250

North American Channel Chief: Bruce Milne

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=165

Pure Storage

Program Name: P3 (Pure Partner Program)

Year Program Established: 2012

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Michael Sotnick

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=173

Quantum Corporation

Program Name: Quantum Alliance

Year Program Established: 2002

Number of North American Partners: 7,054

North American Channel Chief: Andrew Brinck

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=176

Red Hat Inc.

Program Name: Red Hat Connect

Year Program Established: 2006

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: D. Robert Martin

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=180

Samsung Electronics America

Program Name: Samsung Team Of Empowered Partners

Year Program Established: 2014

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Greg Taylor

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=189

SimpliVity

Program Name: SimpliVity PartnerAdvantage

Year Program Established: 2014

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Geoff Fancher

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=202

Star2Star Communications, LLC

Program Name: Star2Star Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2006

Number of North American Partners: 400

North American Channel Chief: Michelle Accardi

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=208

StorageCraft

Program Name: StorageCraft Partner Network

Year Program Established: 2009

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Lee Schor

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=209

Tegile Systems

Program Name: Tegile Authorized Partner Advantage Program

Year Program Established: 2010

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Sherman Tam

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=218

Tintri

Program Name: Tintri Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2012

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Gena Phelps

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=223

Veeam

Program Name: Veeam ProPartner Program

Year Program Established: 2006

Number of North American Partners: 11,000

North American Channel Chief: Kevin Rooney

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=232

Veritas Technologies LLC

Program Name: Veritas Partner Force

Year Program Established: 2015

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Rick Fairweather

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=235

Verizon

Program Name: Verizon Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Janet Schijns

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=236

VMware

Program Name: VMware Partner Network

Year Program Established: 2003

Number of North American Partners: Not Disclosed

North American Channel Chief: Frank Rauch

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2017-details.htm?c=244