SAN JOSE, CA and SUNNYVALE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 06/11/12 -- Cisco (CSCO) and NetApp (NTAP) today announced the launch of a global channel initiative to accelerate the market momentum of the popular FlexPod converged infrastructure solution. The FlexPod Premium Partner Framework will reward elite FlexPod channel partners for investing in sophisticated sales capabilities and services practices.

The companies also announced that more than 1,000 customers have deployed the FlexPod solution since it was launched in November 2010. The FlexPod series combines computing, networking and storage solutions from Cisco and NetApp into a flexible, scalable, shared infrastructure. Nearly 100 percent of FlexPod solutions are now sold through Cisco-NetApp channel partners.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The objective of the FlexPod Premium Partner Framework is to recognize and reward partners who have invested in developing FlexPod solution competencies.
• Built on feedback from the global channel community, the framework is designed to deliver increased differentiation, streamline multi-vendor interactions, and enhance profitability.
• Benefits that help differentiate channel partners include:
  • Use of unique branding that can be leveraged in marketing and communications
  • Special listings in NetApp and Cisco partner locator tools
  • Differentiated marketing and communications support
• Benefits to enable channel partners sales and technical solutions capabilities include:
  • Access to a FlexPod help desk that assists post-sales engineers in the plan, design and implementation of a production FlexPod stack
  • Priority access to lab resources for technical training, demonstrations, and proof-of-concept efforts
  • Joint learning maps from Cisco and NetApp for sales, pre-sales and post-sales personnel
    
    

• Benefits to drive partner growth include:
  • Access to Cisco Collaborative Professional Services and the FlexPod Technical Consulting Accelerator offers partners tools, templates, validated designs, leading practices, and business and technology methodologies, all designed to help partners enhance their FlexPod practices
  • Enhanced focus and support for demand generation campaigns related to the FlexPod solution
• There are currently 22 FlexPod Premium Partners that have qualified for the initiative, including seven partners across North America and 15 in Europe.
• Cisco and NetApp have collaborated to produce more than 20 Cisco Validated Designs; supporting hypervisors from VMware, Red Hat, Microsoft and Citrix.

Executive Quotes:

Peter Howard, Senior Director, Data Center Alliances, NetApp
"Our partners play a critical, consultative role helping customers understand and achieve the financial and operational benefits of moving from inefficient infrastructure silos to converged, virtualized environments built on FlexPod. The FlexPod Premium Partner Framework reflects Cisco's and NetApp's commitment to recognizing partners who have achieved the highest levels of sales, technical, and professional services capability. It builds upon our consistent and shared vision to accelerate customer success through strong, profitable channel partners."

Brian Allison, Director, Data Center Go-To-Market Solutions, Cisco
"Cisco and NetApp have heard from many of our joint channel partners that they want us to reduce complexity and streamline multi-vendor interactions, all while continuing to drive profitability. Through the FlexPod Premium Partner initiative we're rewarding partners for investing in elite sales, technical and services capabilities necessary to capture the rapidly growing market for converged infrastructure solutions."

Paul Lidsky, President & CEO, Datalink, FlexPod Premium Partner
"FlexPod continues to play a foundational role in the future of data centers and private cloud environments. For that reason, it is a linchpin of the converged infrastructure consulting, analysis, design, deployment and support services that we offer to midmarket and enterprise customers. We are the first channel partner to achieve the requirements of the FlexPod Premium Partner Framework because we have been training our engineers in cross-discipline architectures since the inception of FlexPod and have completed dozens of deployments. This new designation from Cisco and NetApp will help organizations identify the most qualified providers to ensure successful implementations that transform their data centers."

Additional Resources

• Learn more about FlexPod: www.netapp.com/us/technology/flexpod/ or www.cisco.com/go/flexpod
• Connect with NetApp experts and storage enthusiasts in the NetApp Community: http://communities.netapp.com/community/products_and_solutions/efficient_it
• Follow NetApp on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NetApp
• Join NetApp on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NetApp
• View NetApp videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/NetAppTV
• Connect with NetApp on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=111681
• Follow Cisco on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
• Visit the Cisco Channels blog

About Cisco
Cisco (CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to newsroom.cisco.com.

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.

NetApp, the NetApp logo, and Go further, faster are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetApp, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such. The use of the word "partner" or "partnership" does not imply a legal partnership between NetApp and any other company. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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