Articles by Mark Cox

Cloud

NetApp makes changes to sales motions designed to accelerate channel success

June 28, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp makes changes to sales motions designed to accelerate channel success
The NetApp strategic priorities for the new fiscal year will have implications for their sales strategy. Here’s how that strategy will affect the channel.

Cloud

‘Lead With the Cloud’ seminal message to NetApp partners going forward

June 28, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on ‘Lead With the Cloud’ seminal message to NetApp partners going forward
NetApp’s cloud business is still fairly small, but their offerings will roll out in force this year, and NetApp wants customers to lead with them – a strategic decision that would have seemed bizarre not long ago, but is now central to the new NetApp.

Cloud

NetApp places big bet on hyperconverged infrastructure

June 28, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp places big bet on hyperconverged infrastructure
At their C3 partner event this week, NetApp exhorted partners to ramp up their efforts to sell NetApp’s new HCI offering based on Solidfire technology, while not letting up on their FlexPod CI activities.

Cloud

NetApp adapting storage and software business unit to Cloud First requirements

June 28, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp adapting storage and software business unit to Cloud First requirements
All-flash led NetApp’s climb back from the brink to profitability, and all-flash remains one of NetApp’s strategic priorities this year. However, while Joel Reich’s business unit delivers most NetApp revenue, its development priorities have transitioned to the new Cloud First approach

Channel Programs

Nutanix targets sub 500-customer market with new Velocity channel program

June 27, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Nutanix targets sub 500-customer market with new Velocity channel program
While the new Velocity program is not focused solely on Lenovo, Lenovo is actively participating in it, with new HX product bundles and a new software HCI product which is also well suited for enterprise customers.

Cloud

NetApp CEO Kurian lays out aggressive strategy to partners

June 27, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on NetApp CEO Kurian lays out aggressive strategy to partners
NetApp CEO George Kurian kicked off NetApp’s second C3 partner conference by outlining the company’s three-pronged strategy to drive business in the year ahead, and asking partners to increase their commitment to NetApp to match the increased commitment NetApp is making to them.

Networking

Silver Peak sees big strategic investment as key validation in crowded SD-WAN market

June 26, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Silver Peak sees big strategic investment as key validation in crowded SD-WAN market
Late-stage investor TCV, which has been involved with many other startups who have hit it big, have made a $90 million investment in Silver Peak, to help the company and its channel drive forward at a time when the SD-WAN market is taking off.

Big Data

MapR announces platform breakthroughs to deliver paradigm shift in automated analytics time-to-value

June 26, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on MapR announces platform breakthroughs to deliver paradigm shift in automated analytics time-to-value
MapR says these changes will let customers fundamentally reshape their use of analytics, which will also open up new opportunities for their channel partners.

Networking

Gigamon, FireEye channel partners to see big benefits from vendors’ new strategic partnership

June 26, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Gigamon, FireEye channel partners to see big benefits from vendors’ new strategic partnership
The existing strong technical integration between Gigamon and FireEye has been extended to make the joint solution much more turnkey for partners. More enablement and sales tools are being provided, along with new incentives for selling the joint solutions, and new joint integrations for partners are also coming.

Cloud

SonicWall targets midmarket with expanded Capture Cloud Platform and a dozen product updates

June 26, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on SonicWall targets midmarket with expanded Capture Cloud Platform and a dozen product updates
Traditional SonicWall partners will be delighted by many new firewalls, while the more platform-focused partners will like the enhanced integrations designed to appeal to a midmarket customer base.