Pure Storage ramps up channel investment

Pure Storage has ramped up its partner program, offering resellers new and enhanced benefits along with increased investments.

The changes will see the Platinum partner tier previously only offered in North America rolled out across Asia Pacific as well as other geographies.

That move will enable Australian and New Zealand partners who attain Platinum status to be eligible for a new Pure sponsored headcount incentive for Platinum partners, enabling them to

The program includes a new Pure sponsored headcount incentive for Platinum level partners, enabling them 'to accelerate the development of their all-flash storage practice'.

A 'significant increase' in the percent of Pure revenue dedicated to partner enablement in the form of marketing development funds is also being promised. The company says the up to 4x increase in MDF is a significant new investment and demonstrates the company's commitment to the channel.

Pure Storage grew more than 300% for the 2015 fiscal year, with its active partner base growing more than 100% between January 31 2014 and January 31, 2015.

Michael Sotnick, Pure Storage vice president of global alliances and channels, says the enhancements to the P3 partner programme 'are designed to further enable our partners with the opportunity to develop their all-flash storage expertise, build practices around a next generation technology and ultimately position them for new and increased business opportunities today and into the future'.

The vendor says the changes include an improved incentive framework, extended to partners globally, including a new, co-branded, partner-driven customer reference program with incentives for participating partner account executives and sales engineers; and a demo purchase program featuring significant discounts on products differentiated by partner tier.

The deal registration system is also being enhanced to provide 'worldclass sales support and complete backing from the Pure Storage sales organisation' and new customer and partner success services, accreditations and online and instructor-led training will also be available, along with new TCO, marketing and sales tools.

Pure Storage is currently preparing to appoint a second distributor for the Australian and New Zealand markets as it implements a dual distribution model worldwide.

The new 'two-tier, pan-regional distribution model' will see two distributors per country, one local based and one pan-regional.