NetApp: We won't be taking channel advice from EMC
New NetApp channel boss insists his stamp on the channel won't be influenced by EMC, which he claims is failing to innovate
NetApp's newly appointed global channel chief Peter Howard has insisted his plans for his new role will not be influenced by rival EMC's evolving channel model.
Speaking at NetApp's Partners and Pathways Summit in Venice, Howard said putting his stamp on the channel will be an evolutionary process led by resellers, something which he claims larger competitors are unable to do due to their size.
At EMC's partner event in Las Vegas in April, the vendor announced it was overhauling its channel programme, and later hinted at creating an "Olympic Medal-style" partner programme. Howard said any changes he makes to NetApp's channel programmes will look and feel like NetApp.
He said: "[We] don't focus on the competition, [we] focus on what we do best and get the basics right. I don't really care what EMC does - I mean, I pay attention but I don't see much innovation going on over there. I see they're actually copying a lot of the stuff we've been doing very successfully. On the one hand, when they do things that are good for the channel, it's good for NetApp because I need a strong, healthy channel.
"I don't expect us to follow EMC - it's never happened in the 20 years that we've been in this business, so I don't expect that to change. I do respect them, certainly, I'm aware of them, but I think programme-wise, you'll continue to see NetApp do things that look and feel like NetApp, and not look and feel like a response to EMC."
Howard took on the new channel role just last week, after working in a variety of channel and sales roles at NetApp for the last eight years. He said his job will be to help resellers overcome the challenges of the changing business and IT environment.
He said: "I think the biggest challenge [for resellers] is connecting the dots between a technology offering and a business solution. Increasingly customers want true business value, and that's a challenge. Another is sorting out what the public cloud thing is. There was a lot of fear in channel about public cloud and if it was the end of on-premise products.
"I think we're all agreed hybrid IT will be the model for the future and we're seeing partners really building out services that would position them well to be a trusted advisor to CIOs. That requires significant shifts in the way partners think about business."