Pure Storage Partner Program Enhancements Elevate Partner Experience
… a 37% increase in Pure-as-a-Service.
WaveMakers is a separate program Pure is developing for partner SEs.
“The strong Pure partner SE community now has a name – the WaveMakers – and an identity.” she said.
The new global program will be invitation-only and will have three tiers — members, champions and legends. The WaveMakers program opens on Nov. 16. It is based on training, partner commitment to sales and building greater sales with Pure Storage. WaveMakers partners get greater access to content and road maps. Top-tier partners – Legends – will get unique interaction with Pure’s product development house.
In the past, Pure had Flash Crews, a community of partner SEs who shared customer experiences, pain points, etc.
“What we found is that when SEs get together and talk, they get better at thinking about Pure, leading with Pure, selling, etc. These partner SEs also form lifelong relationships and a network in the community,” said Stusrud.
The Flash Crews won’t go away, but the WaveMakers will be exclusive — invite-only.
More on the New Americas Channel Chief
Stusrud has been with Pure for almost six years. In February she replaced her boss, Andy Martin. Martin is now vice president, global partner sales, at Pure Storage.
Stusrud said that Pure’s global network of partners includes GSIs, MSPs and traditional VARs. Today, much of Pure’s day-to-day business is done with VARs, but the company is growing its business with MSPs and GSIs.
“Our preference today is to work with partners that want to work with us; those who want to build a practice around us,” said Stusrud. “We tend to focus on the most important partners. By that I mean their commitment to us and our commitment to them. Those who want to build engineering practices, marketing practices, sales campaigns around our products and solutions.”
Pure’s partner program has two tiers – elite and preferred. Tier placement is based on achievement with certifications, driving business with new customers and selling more products within the portfolio, rather than the size of the partner business or number of sales reps.
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