NetApp Helps Partners Maximise Customer Value with New Authorised Professional Service Partner Program
SYDNEY, Australia - February 13,
2008 -- NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) today announced that it has
reinforced its commitment to VIP Program partners with additional
service opportunities as part of the new Authorised Professional
Service Partner Program. The program encourages partners to sell
and deliver their own brand of professional services for
NetApp® data centre solutions by utilising NetApp best
practices, tools and methodologies, comprehensive training, and
implementation backup support. The Authorised Professional Service
Partner Program strengthens channel partners' role as trusted
advisors for customers by providing a complete solution set to
deliver maximum value for enterprise data centres.
The Authorised Professional Service Partner
Program is designed specifically with channel partners in mind to
provide an industry-leading professional service business
proposition with compelling enablement resources focused on
increasing the productivity and effectiveness of customer data
centres. Partners who meet authorisation requirements can do the
following:
- Sell and deliver partner-branded professional services with
their sale of NetApp Technologies
- Specialise in one or more NetApp solution areas for deep market
specialisation
- Gain access to comprehensive hands-on training and proven
service delivery methodologies and best practices
- Offer value-added services that strengthen customer
relationships and increase revenue opportunities
The Authorised Professional Service Partner
Program encourages partners to offer value-added services that not
only strengthen customer relationships but also help transform
their data centres in new ways that enhance their business.
Partners stay in control of their customer relationships while
delivering strategic value-added services that are tailored to
NetApp products and solutions. Partners who want to achieve
Authorised Professional Service Partner status can participate in
one or more solution areas of their choice. Each solution area has
its own clearly defined training path that helps technical teams
achieve success.
As part of the program, participating
partners receive secure access to the same solution-based service
delivery tools, templates, and methodologies used by NetApp Global
Services professional service teams. In addition, the program
offers access to the NetApp Automated Storage Provisioning Engine
application. This information-rich tool can be a key differentiator
for partners in terms of productivity gains and customer
satisfaction, enabling partners to design, deploy, and document
from one source, reducing manual tasks and eliminating margins for
error, resulting in customer-quality deployment documentation
within minutes.
"Leveraging NetApp service resources will
strengthen, expand, and optimise our solutions offerings," said
Chris Pyle, CEO and president of Champion Solutions Group.
"Champion has successfully completed the pilot requirements with
Web-based and hands-on training and has acquired a license for the
innovative NetApp Automated Storage Provisioning Engine to
accelerate our delivery. Blended with Champion's depth and breadth
of virtualisation expertise, NetApp and Champion bring new and
dynamic storage virtualisation solutions to our customers."
"As an authorised partner in this program, we
will have seamless access to service delivery tools, templates, and
methodologies, maximising our productivity, margins, and customer
relationships," said Tom Sylvester, CIO of Datalink. "Ultimately,
we believe that this partnership will help us provide the highest
level of service to our customers."
"At the end of the day, our partner community
wants to deliver services for their customers that extend our data
centre products and solutions," said Leonard Iventosch, vice
president of Global Channels at NetApp. "The single most important
benefit we can offer partners is the opportunity to simply and
effectively get more engaged with our customers. Opening up
additional services opportunities is one of the best ways we can
make this happen for our most trusted partners."
In addition to the Authorised Professional
Service Partner Program, NetApp announced new products,
capabilities, and virtualisation professional services to enable
customers to transform their data centres.
To learn more, read today's separate press
release at http://www.netapp.com/us/company/news/news_rel_20080212b.html.
For more information on the Authorised
Professional Service Partner Program, please visit www.netapp.com. Partners must be
members in good standing of the NetApp VIP Program to qualify.
About Network
Appliance
NetApp is a leading provider of innovative data management
solutions that simplify the complexity of storing, managing,
protecting, and retaining enterprise data. Market leaders around
the world choose NetApp to help them reduce cost, minimise risk,
and adapt to change. For solutions that deliver unmatched
simplicity and value, visit us on the Web at www-au.netapp.com.
NetApp and the Network Appliance logo are
registered trademarks and Network Appliance is a trademark of
Network Appliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other
brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders and should be treated as such.
Media Contact:
Rachel York
Max Australia
Tel: +61 2 9954 3492
rachel.york@maxaustralia.com.au