Sphere 3D Introduces Elite and ElitePro Virtualization Certification Program

Sphere 3D Corp., parent company of Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, announced availability of the Elite and ElitePro certification and partner programs to empower channel partners to sell the company’s desktop and application virtualization solutions.

The tiers added to the company’s FastTrack Channel Partner Program provide reseller partners the tools necessary for sales, marketing and implementation initiatives.

Sphere 3D’s virtualization solutions, like its V3 family of virtual workspace products, require specific consultative and system architecture expertise that understands the nuances of desktop virtualization and best practices for installation across corporate enterprises, SMBs and ROBOs. The company’s certification tiers are designed to deliver the knowledge base required for a reseller to ensure they design the optimal virtual desktop and application performance within customers’ IT environments.

Elite and ElitePro partners gain access to Sphere 3D’s FastTrack partner program, which encompasses the portfolio of Sphere 3D products, including the Overland and Tandberg Data brands. The enhanced education and the experience of deploying and testing the Sphere 3D virtualization offerings like V3 and Glassware 2.0 based appliances in their own environments help Sphere 3D Elite and ElitePro partners scale their sales efforts.

Highlights of the tiered program include:

Elite Partner Program:

• Exclusive partner promotions which include pre-designed VDI solution configurations for commonly seen use cases
• Sales tools and training materials to educate partners on V3’s differentiation within the market
• Qualified sharing of leads derived from Sphere 3D’s marketing efforts and those of our technology partners
• Extra joint marketing development funds
• Education and training programs with direct access to Sphere 3D’s technical teams, and joint account calls
• Discounted evaluation units, with special pricing to support solutions bundles delivery
• Strategic quarterly business reviews
  

ElitePro Partner Program includes all Elite benefits, plus

• A V3 architect certification for team members to become an authorized implementer and architecture team member
• Direct Level 1 technical support to customers
• Additional technical pre-requisites and further training are required for this level of certification
  

“Our virtualization portfolio, combined with a focused certification program, is poised to help our channel partners win more business from both their existing customers as well as through new customer acquisition,” said Peter Bookman, global strategist, Sphere 3D. “Building a virtualization practice has never been easier for resellers and service providers; our attention to detail and software tools provide a great entry point for those looking to capitalize on the future of cloud computing.“

Bookman continued: “As the landscape of IT continues to evolve, becoming more complex and distributed, Sphere 3D is committed to simplifying the deployment and implementation of virtualization and storage management solutions to enable complete cloud experiences that are accessible to organizations of any size, whether 10 employees or 50,000. A large part of delivering on this simplification is to train and enable our partners with the knowledge and expertise they need to be successful.“

White papers:
V3 Storage Architecture Overview and Implications for VDI
Why 2016 will Finally See Elasticity in the Desktop Application Virtualization Market