NetApp updates Unified Partner Program for partners

NetApp has recently updated its Unified Partner Program for the fiscal year 2022 (FY’22). The latest enhancements will provide partners with a more flexible, consistent, and simplified experience - preparing them for the planned transition to a new tiering structure next year.

Also, this Unified Partner Program is expanding the partner ecosystem, offering new financial incentives, and accelerating profitability, and adding new solutions and Services Certified specializations.

“It’s an exciting time to be a NetApp partner,’’ said Ganesan Arumugam, Director, Channel Sales, NetApp. “The new updates to the Unified Partner Program will make it easier to do business with NetApp. Together, by offering a simpler experience, more flexibility and clear areas for our joint investment, these changes will enable us to further differentiate based on our expertise and contributions. More importantly, it serves as a clear roadmap for our alignment with NetApp and the emerging roles of an OEM and their Partner community.”

Enhancements to the NetApp Unified Partner Program for FY’22, available immediately, include:

• Expanding Partner Ecosystem – The program will now include specialist partners who sell, consume or influence the NetApp portfolio – increasing relevance to more partner types.
• Simplified Incentives – Incentives are streamlined to align with key initiatives, and focus areas including customer acquisition, FlexPod, consumption, cloud and more. These incentives tied to new specializations become more predictable along the sales lifecycle.
• New Partner Rewards – Individual participants who opt-in will be rewarded for actions that drive deal closure as part of strategic programs — such as setting meetings and registering deals.
• New Solution Specializations - An opportunity to recognize and reward partners’ unique skillsets and go-to-market models, new solution specializations will be available for Cloud Preferred, FlexPod, SAP, AI/ML, Data Protection, Data Security, Hosting Service Provider, Infrastructure, and Spot by NetApp Preferred.
• New Services Certified Specializations – The transformation of Services Certified Specializations include: Integration Services Certified, Lifecycle Services Certified, and NetApp Keystone Services Certified, ensuring alignment with customer needs across the hybrid cloud lifecycle.
• Partner Connect 2.0 - The NetApp partner locator is being redesigned for a better user experience to help customers find the most specialized partners to meet their needs.