WekaIO Channel Program Prioritizes Partners With Tech Firm, OEM Relationships

WekaIO has launched a global partner program for high-performance, scalable file storage for data- intensive applications. The WekaIO Innovation Network (WIN) equips partners with modern storage architecture solutions, technical expertise, and an enhanced value proposition that includes acceleration of data to technical computing GPU resources for breakthrough performance.

WIN is the outcome of a strategy “to build a purpose-built partner and channel organization, to scale the business, to get behind partners, really working the field,” Charla Bunton-Johnson, global director, partner and field marketing, told CMR. “Our focus has been on the two major market (US and EMEA) and we really want to recruit partners that are aligned with enterprise customers, solving their problems in AI, machine learning, deep learning, inference, analytics and HPC.”

The company is striving to optimize sales by prioritizing relationships with partners that have OEM relationships and understand where WekaIO solutions fit into larger technology ecosystems, said Bunton-Johnson.

The company strategically limits the number of partners it does business with to offer high product margins and protect every registered deal so there is no channel conflict and no confusion in the sales process.

WekaIO has technology alliances with companies such as Altair, Intel, Nvidia and Seagate and others. Also in its partner ecosystem are OEMs including DellEMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Penguin Computing and Supermicro.

A 100% channel-focused company, WekaIO has a dedicated channel sales and marketing team working to build up and scale through-partners sales. “Our goal is to evolve the WIN program to meet the enablement and program needs of our partners while delivering a differentiated high-performance storage feature set to customers that will transform their data into value for their business,” said Bunton-Johnson.

The WIN program provides partners with access to the Weka File System (WekaFS), a storage infrastructure that accelerates the most demanding workloads in the datacenter. In addition to extensive training, WIN supports partners with dedicated resources to work on joint marketing events that raise awareness and drive demand for software-defined storage solutions. Eligible partners also have access to MDF funds to help with demand generation activities and field events.

Working with a limited number of partners at its Leader level and selected Accelerator level partners, WekaIO supports partner-driven demand gen activities by offering plan-based MDF allocation. Once co-developed annual marketing program are approved, WekaIO will fully fund marketing activities.

WekaIO currently monitors deal and opportunity registration in its portal to measure the effectiveness of its MDF investments. Partners are also expected to report on the performance of their MDF supported programs.