MongoDB: $150M in Funding Must Recruit, Train Big Data Partners
When MongoDB recently said it raised another $150 million in venture capital, The VAR Guy was intrigued. Surely, MongoDB — which promotes a NoSQL Big Data database — will use some of that money to recruit and train channel partners like VARs, MSPs and cloud services providers (CSPs). Right? Hmmm…
In a prepared statement, MongoDB said it will use the $150 million to ” further invest in the core MongoDB project as well as in MongoDB Management Service, a suite of tools and services to operate MongoDB at scale. In addition, MongoDB will extend its efforts in supporting its growing user base throughout the world.”
Partners, Please
So what’s the problem? MongoDB should have gotten much more specific by mentioning channel partners somewhere in that statement. After all, rival DataStax specifically mentioned channel partners during its last round of funding.
Meanwhile, MongoDB has 20,000 user group members and 20,000 MongoDB Days attendees. But how many of those folks will build IT consulting, deployment and management businesses around MongoDB? And who will support MongoDB for companies that don’t want to hire a new generation of database pros?
Partners, Pretty Please
The answer is channel partners — if MongoDB successfully recruits and trains such experts in mass scale.
Back in August 2013, MongoDB VP of Business Development and Strategy Matt Asay described the company’s channel partner initiatives to The VAR Guy. The strategy sounded promising.
In recent months, The VAR Guy has repeatedly told readers that they need to investigate the fast-growing NoSQL database market, where MongoDB (formerly 10gen) competes. As MongoDB accepts more venture capital funding, let’s hope some of the dollars and cents are directed the channel’s way.
The VAR Guy bets that’s the case. MongoDB just forgot to say it out loud. Correct?
Joe, thank you for the
Joe, thank you for the write-up, and for the concern. While we didn’t specifically call out partners, our work with partners has accelerated. This is both a matter of depth and breadth. We’re well past 250 partners now, spread across a range of SIs, VARs, ISVs, IHVs, and cloud partners.
And that focus on partners has only grown since we last spoke. We’ve committed significant additional technical resources to Business Development, in every major geography, so as to better support partners. We’ve also hired a lead for APAC, who is heavily driven by the channel and has already signed some massive, major VARs (which we will announce in the not-so-distant-future).
In sum, we weren’t studiously overlooking partners. Given that the company’s focus on partners has increased 10X over the past year, that would be an odd action for us. Instead, we opted to focus the news on the significant boost in R&D spending (partners wouldn’t care about us if the product weren’t good – we’re making it even better) and a geographical spread (which includes a heavy dose of channel expansion).
Sorry if we didn’t make that clearer. Ecosystems win markets, and we’re 100% focused on the vibrant MongoDB partner and developer ecosystem.
Matt,
Thanks for the update.
Matt,
Thanks for the update. Readers appreciate it. As do I.
-jp
It is great to see the mongo
It is great to see the mongo guys get $150 million more $. I think it is great since it will take more money than people have realized over the last 10 years, to make a good size dent in the ms, oracle, ibm database marketshare dynamics. Between the shift to more internet apps, and mobile apps that are viable for a new database offering like Mongo, and management and investors who understand it is a big, tall order, and will take time, to compete against the trio of power over the last 25 years, I am hopeful that Mongo and 10gen become a very large market player.
And that they create many new channel opportunities 🙂