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NetApp Fortifies its Channel Leadership in APAC

NetApp, a leading intelligent data infrastructure company headquartered in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, has recently unveiled updates and achievements regarding its notable Partner Sphere program. This initiative aims to accelerate the strategic growth of its partners, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to enhance competitiveness and differentiation in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

To address the increasingly complex transformation needs of businesses, NetApp has refreshed its comprehensive framework aimed at empowering partners. The updated program offers 16 solution competencies aligned with critical business priorities such as AI, cloud transformation, cyber resilience, and modernization of data infrastructure. This approach is geared towards equipping partners with the skills needed to meet the demands of the market effectively.

Among the key enhancements, NetApp has designed incentives and benefits within the program to maximize revenue opportunities for partners while supporting multiple sales motions. These resources enable partners to broaden their reach to new customers and expand their business foundations. For instance, partners can utilize the Partner Demo Gear to demonstrate NetApp solutions in customer proof of concept (PoC) setups or lab environments. Additionally, through the Services Certified track, partners can enhance their service delivery capabilities in collaboration with NetApp, moving towards consultative service designs. These initiatives are expected to capitalize on the projected growth of the APAC IT services market, which is forecasted to reach a size of $325.41 billion by 2025.

Since the program's recent updates concerning competencies and certification, the number of certified partners selling and distributing NetApp's AI solutions has surged nearly threefold compared to the previous year. These efforts to strengthen the partner ecosystem have not gone unnoticed; NetApp has earned the title of Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice 2025 along with being recognized in CRN magazine’s 2025 5-Star Storage Vendor Program.

Ganesan Arumugam, Senior Director of APAC Channel Sales & Alliances at NetApp, stated, “APAC is at the heart of innovation, and to achieve rapid growth, it is essential to support resilient and modernized infrastructure that can centrally manage data storage. This enables businesses to maximize the value of their data and AI solutions. NetApp’s Partner Sphere program addresses these needs, allowing our partners to offer reliable and scalable storage solutions to local enterprises.” He added that partners are responding to this call by leveraging NetApp's cutting-edge portfolio to enter new markets and customer segments, leading to significant business outcomes.

The Partner Sphere program is dedicated to supporting partners and developing their capabilities, providing a range of benefits and incentives aimed at enhancing the overall execution and impact of the ecosystem. Some of the major initiatives include:

• - Providing Skill Competencies and Training: The program offers 21 unique skill pathways and training modules across various areas like AI, cloud data modernization, and ransomware protection, allowing for a customized learning experience suitable for managers and teams. For example, NetApp has revamped its AI solutions competency focused on the entire AI solution lifecycle for customers.

• - Supporting Business Expansion Through Services: The Services Certified track aids partners in generating new revenue streams and expanding their business. It provides an environment for developing innovative services based on high-demand NetApp solutions, enhancing market visibility through co-branding with the NetApp Services Certified badge, and enabling flexible service portfolio construction under NetApp-led, distributor-led, and partner-led frameworks.

• - Incentive-Based Evaluation: The program incorporates a tiering system that expands benefits and support in accordance with the growth stages of partners. This reinforces revenue opportunities and incentives as well as facilitates acquiring new customers while stimulating demand for NetApp solutions through joint investments.

Related Information

About NetApp’s Partner Sphere
NetApp has been instrumental for over 30 years in helping leading global enterprises navigate change, from the widespread adoption of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Currently, NetApp positions itself as an intelligent data infrastructure company that transforms data into a driver of innovation, resilience, and growth.

At the heart of this is the NetApp Data Platform, a unified enterprise-grade infrastructure connecting, protecting, and activating data across all clouds, workloads, and environments. Built on the industry-leading data management software/OS NetApp ONTAP, it offers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale powered by automated capabilities such as the AI Data Engine and AFX. The Data Platform separates the design of storage, services, and control, allowing enterprises to modernize swiftly, scale efficiently, and accelerate innovation without being locked in.

NetApp ensures that data is always “ready” — ready to be protected from threats, ready to drive AI, and ready to create the next breakthrough. This is why some of the world’s most advanced enterprises trust NetApp as their partner in turning intelligence into advantage. For more details, visit NetApp Official Site. NetApp, Inc. is the parent company of NetApp Japan and can also be followed on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.