‘People need to be prepared’: UK partners react to VeeamON
During Veeam’s conference in San Diego, British channel orgs sat down with CRN to discuss the vendor’s most exciting news
“The announcements will impact every Veeam customer.”
“Veeam is future proof.”
“I wasn’t expecting it to be that aggressive.”
These were just some of the reactions of three partners who attended VeeamON, the vendor’s event in San Diego last week.
Announcement regarding DRMM, Veeam Data Cloud, resilience had partners reflect on their partnerships with the data protection and cyber resilience company, and how the latter can further serve them moving forward.
CRN caught up with 11:11 Systems, Covenco, and Summit to discuss how the Veeam’s declarations and updates are impacting channel firms in the UK.
Ian Sanderson, director of recovery and data protection, 11:11 Systems
What are your key takeaways from the event?
“The keynote for me really highlights how Veeam has evolved over the years.
“There’s a clear focus now on moving up-market to the enterprise and meeting a broader spectrum of customer needs when it comes to protection and recovery in disaster scenarios.
“The keynote showcased a strong commitment to innovation - new products, new solutions.
“From Veeam’s humble beginnings 17 years ago to where it is today, the messaging really resonates.”
From a partner perspective, what did you make of the announcements?
“There’s definitely a big push to help us co-sell with Veeam.
“One standout was what John Jester said the 25 per cent discount on Veeam Data Cloud.
“That’s a great opportunity for service providers.
“It gets me thinking: ‘How can we also innovate with these technologies?’
“Also, while it didn’t get a lot of fanfare in the keynote, the continuous data protection piece is huge.
“The focus on security and tools like the new DRMM capabilities strengthen the overall data resilience message.”
Was there anything you were expecting to hear that was left out?
“Honestly, no.
“I have some visibility into the roadmap, so maybe that helps.
“It’s encouraging to see Veeam deliver on that roadmap and act on feedback. Nothing felt missing.”
And anything that genuinely surprised you?
“Yes, the depth of the discount on the data cloud offering.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be that aggressive.
“It’s a strong move, and it supports secure sales and revenue generation for both Veeam and its partners.”
What did you make of Eswaran’s comment: “Resilience doesn’t come from tech alone - it’s about how we use that tech to build speed and confidence”?
“I 100 per cent agree.
“At 11:11 Systems, that aligns perfectly with our messaging.
“Tech only gets you so far, people need to be prepared.
“They need to know what data is critical, how to access it, what to prioritise.
“We help customers understand their environments and build operational confidence.”
The CEO also said: “With the right partner, the right roadmap, and the right tools, you can accelerate your security journey.” Thoughts?
“That’s spot-on.
“Veeam is one tool in the toolbox.
“They know they can’t be everything to everyone - that’s where we come in.
“We integrate their tech with other services like security, networking, storage, and build comprehensive solutions. It’s about partnership.”
How is Veeam’s current strategy impacting your business?
“It complements what we do.
“We offer similar services, but Veeam’s roadmap allows us to differentiate.
“We might use pieces of Veeam Data Cloud inside our own offerings and wrap our own onboarding, management, and support around it.
“That’s where our value comes in.”
Gurdip Sohal, sales director of data management, Covenco
What are your key takeaways from the event?
“As a service provider and reseller, the new options from Veeam expand how we can go to market and what we can offer customers.
“From the service provider angle, Veeam bringing additional services to the table creates opportunities.
“It’s about understanding how we can evolve our proposition, adopt what makes sense, and then deliver it to customers.
“For example, Backup for Salesforce now available through Veeam Data Cloud is a great addition.
“Roadmap visibility is always key for me; this is my sixth or seventh VeeamON.
“I like to stay ahead so we can advise our customers and show them their investment in Veeam is future proof.”
From a partner perspective, what did you make of the announcements?
“We specialise in data protection, and Veeam’s focus on cyber resilience and continuous innovation aligns well with our mission.
“It’s not just about backup; it’s also about stopping bad things before they get into the data.
“Veeam’s doing a great job there.
“The breadth of offerings really allows us to provide a full spectrum of backup and resilience services.”
Was there anything you were expecting to hear that was left out?
“Not really.
“We’ve already built our own infrastructure and services, so I’m mostly looking at how new offerings can work alongside our existing ones.
“It’s more about operational integration - can we benefit from Veeam’s backend capabilities and make our own services more efficient?”
And anything that genuinely surprised you?
“Not surprised, honestly
“Veeam are innovators, and I expect them to bring exciting ideas every time.
“That’s why we’re so aligned with them: the pace of innovation and the partner enablement is exactly why we’re all in.”
What did you make of Eswaran’s comment: “Resilience doesn’t come from tech alone - it’s about how we use that tech to build speed and confidence”?
“Completely agree.
“Tech is one part, but you need a deep understanding of the customer’s environment; their challenges, their ecosystem.
“If you don’t get that right, even the best tech can’t help.
“Our job is to apply Veeam’s tools to real-world pain points and show customers the value.
“That’s where trust is built.”
The CEO also said: “With the right partner, the right roadmap, and the right tools, you can accelerate your security journey.” Thoughts?
“Technology alone definitely isn’t enough; customers need the skills and expertise we bring to deploy it properly and get value from it.
“If we don’t deliver well, it reflects on Veeam too.
“That trust is built on reliability, good delivery, and understanding customer problems.”
How is Veeam’s current strategy impacting your business?
“Veeam’s cloud-first and SaaS-focused strategy is great for our reseller business, it gives customers a direct, vendor-managed option.
“And for those needing a white-glove service, our service provider arm can deliver that.
“Veeam giving us both models - DIY and partner-led - is a win, it gives us more ways to serve customers.”
Aaron Biggs, VP of revenue, Summit
What are your key takeaways from the event?
“From a trend perspective, I found [Eswaran’s] keynote particularly compelling.
“His discussion on cybercrime and how Veeam is evolving its platform to address that stood out to me.
“From my perspective as both a partner and a user of Veeam, the biggest takeaway was the continued evolution of the platform, not just around backup and recovery, but around building what I’d call the core trust equation.
“Veeam Backup is a great product, but what really came through at VeeamON was the emphasis on trust - trust in systems, in vendors, and in building a cohesive strategy to protect, secure, and enable businesses, regardless of what challenges come their way.”
From a partner perspective, what did you make of the announcements?
“The major announcements will impact not only our capabilities as a service provider but also every Veeam customer.
“Everyone benefits from the evolution of the Veeam Data Platform, no matter how they consume Veeam.
Was there anything you were expecting to hear that was left out?
“If I’m honest, we always want more.
“We want to bring as much capability to our customers as possible.
“The biggest thing that it didn’t see fully addressed - although I know it’s in progress - is the complete unification of Veeam’s portfolio.
“Some services are still somewhat siloed, which runs counter to that vision of a singular interface and cohesive protection.
“It’s not a criticism, it’s more of an observation, as they’re working on it and it’s just something that hasn’t fully launched yet.”
And anything that genuinely surprised you?
“One of the major announcements for us was Veeam’s investment in creating more of a universal continuous data protection (CDP) platform.
“It enables so much more for existing and prospective customers.
“It allows the Summit team to really extend that level of protection, resilience and trust without having to bifurcate across different platforms and technologies.”
What did you make of Eswaran’s comment: “Resilience doesn’t come from tech alone - it’s about how we use that tech to build speed and confidence”?
“Given the complexities of today’s world, things like data residency and data sovereignty, particularly for global organisations, that concept of resilience is critical.
“He made a really good point: data resilience isn’t just about having a safety net. It goes far deeper.
“That’s where the conversation turns to trust again - that’s the foundation of what we do in this space.”
The CEO also said: “With the right partner, the right roadmap, and the right tools, you can accelerate your security journey.” Thoughts?
“I completely agree.
“Veeam is an excellent vendor with a strong product, and they’ve proven to be very collaborative - not just with customers, but with partners like us.
“Over the years, they’ve taken direct feedback from us, feedback that often comes directly from our customers, and used it to improve the product.
“They also provide strong support, both from an engineering perspective and in terms of go-to-market efforts.
“What’s somewhat unique in this industry is their willingness to solve for the customer rather than push a specific sales route.
“That’s particularly evident in how they handle partner relationships; Veeam doesn’t try to compete with us.
“That lack of friction is incredibly valuable.
“It allows us to focus entirely on delivering the best service and outcomes to our customers without getting caught in the economics of competing interests.
“That’s what makes them such a strong long-term partner - the shared focus on customer outcomes rather than internal agendas.”
How is Veeam’s current strategy impacting your business?
“[Veeam’s] evolving strategy continues to align with what we’re trying to achieve as a service provider.
“We offer a wide range of services beyond just what Veeam provides, but when it comes to backup and resilience, Veeam is the foundation.
“And knowing that we can rely on them to keep delivering the level of capability we need - it’s a big deal.
“In tech, vendors often change direction quickly, and not always in ways that benefit partners or customers.
“But with Veeam, that customer-centricity gives us a more stable, unified path to delivering value. And that’s what matters most.”