SUNNYVALE, Calif. - April 16, 2012 - NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) today announced it was awarded a 5-Star Partner rating in CRN's 2012 Partner Programs Guide. The 2012 CRN Partner Programs Guide and CRN 5-Star rating provide the definitive listing of manufacturers and software publishers that service solution providers or provide products to the IT Channel. CRN's Partner Programs Guide recognizes those vendors who have innovative channel programs and derive a portion of their sales through the indirect IT Channel.

NetApp's strategy to leverage diverse pathways for growth has played an important role in furthering the company's growth and success in the enterprise and midsize business segments. The company is known for its industry-leading channel program initiatives. It has continued to build on its award-winning program with new investments in infrastructure and enablement tools to make it easier for partners to do business with NetApp and to help them grow their business faster.

Additions to the program this year include new programs to help partners transform their business to take advantage of the cloud services opportunity. The NetApp Partner Program for Service Providers, the first of its kind in the storage industry, brings together NetApp and service providers to deliver IT as a service to address customers' needs. The company supports partners through the process of designing, deploying, selling and supporting IT-as-a-service solutions with NetApp® expertise, tools, specializations and program benefits. NetApp also has begun providing a variety of training workshops to help educate service providers and VARs on the ways that they can adapt their business to cloud computing opportunities.

NetApp and its leadership team have earned several prestigious honors from CRN this year.

• Four NetApp executives were named to CRN's Channel Chiefs list, recognized for helping NetApp's partners navigate new business models and rapid technology shifts.
• NetApp was named to CRN's "Data Center 100" list earlier this year, recognizing the company as a key player in the data center community.
• NetApp was named the overall winner in the Enterprise Network Storage category in CRN's 2011 Channel Champions survey.

"The companies listed in CRN's 2012 Partner Programs Guide represent a comprehensive list of the best channel programs in the market today," said Kelley Damore, VP and Editorial Director for UBM Channel's CRN. "The 5-star award is reserved for vendors that understand that a successful partnership does not rely solely on the technology. By offering their partners tools, education and regular updates, vendors on this list go above and beyond traditional support to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership."

"It's an honor to be named as one of CRN's 5-Star Partner Programs," said Julie Parrish, senior vice president of Global Partner Sales, NetApp. "NetApp's commitment to our partners' success is core to NetApp's overall growth strategy, and we see this recognition as validation that our programs are meeting the needs of our partner community."

The 2012 Partner Programs Guide and 5-Star Partners listing will be featured on CRN.com and in the March 2012 issue of CRN.

In building the list, UBM Channel Research developed a methodology in which vendors are assessed on information provided in their completed applications. The objective criteria take into account each vendor's investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

About NetApp
NetApp creates innovative storage and data management solutions that deliver outstanding cost efficiency and accelerate business breakthroughs. Our commitment to living our core values and consistently being recognized as a great place to work around the world are fundamental to our long-term growth and success, as well as the success of our pathway partners and customers. Discover our passion for helping companies around the world go further, faster at www.netapp.com.

About UBM Channel (www.ubmchannel.com)
UBM Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, UBM Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. UBM Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about UBM Channel, visit us at www.ubmchannel.com.

UBM plc (www.ubm.com)
UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries is organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com

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