Pure Storage is launching a new top partner tier designed to elevate its “most-skilled” partners.
The storage vendor today unveiled its new ‘Ambassador’ level, amid a wider partner programme update it says will reward technical expertise and solution specialisation over volume-based sales.
At the same time, Pure has added four ‘Solution Practice Designations’ for AI and Analytics, Cyber Resilience, Cloud, and App Modernisation.
In comments to IT Channel Oxygen, Geoff Greenlaw, VP Channel EMEA/LatAm at Pure, characterised the Ambassador tier as “the new gold standard for Pure resellers”, stressing that it is designed for a “select group of partners” only.
To gain the status, partners must hold a solution practice designation in at least two of four focus areas, Greenlaw confirmed.
They must also undergo a “comprehensive validation process”, he added.
“We’re excited to see which UK partners will be up for the challenge and as a result, this group of highly skilled organisations will gain deeper access to Pure to co-develop go-to-market strategies and solution briefs,” Greenlaw said.
The validation process for Ambassador includes validating competencies through formal labs, the ability to run proof-of-concepts, and customer references, Greenlaw said.
“Partners will also need to establish a formal professional services practice with specific certifications, and partner with a Pure alliance partner (eg Commvault for cyber resiliency), holding high-tier status in that alliance partner’s programme,” he said.
Pure is also updating its MSP Partner programme to focus on services where data and storage play a foundational role (including private and sovereign cloud, Storage as-a-Service, and backup and disaster recovery).
Distributors are also being treated to “new growth incentives, expanded marketing investment and expanded scope to deliver training to reseller partners”, Pure claimed.
