At Cloudera, partners are integral to the way we go to market. They provide expertise, capabilities, and pre-built solutions that empower Cloudera customers to accelerate their data transformation journeys. Our partners invest in building differentiated businesses on Cloudera, and we invest in them through Cloudera Connect, our world-class partner program.
The Enterprise Data Cloud opens up new playing fields
When we announced the Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) earlier this year, we recognized that our unique multi-function, multi-cloud approach would create new opportunities for our partner ecosystem. And also, that it would have implications for Cloudera Connect. For example:
- We would need to provide our partners with a smooth path to co-selling and reselling cloud deployment models. Our customers’ data journeys are diverse, and we knew that our customers wanted complete flexibility for hybrid cloud or multi-cloud deployments.
- We would need new integration best practices and integration testing processes to support CDP Public Cloud.
- We would need to give customers more confidence to tackle their most strategic business problems. That is a lot easier to do if you know you can choose from many partners who are competent in specific skills and use cases and offer end-to-end solutions and integrated technologies.
What’s New with Cloudera Connect?
One of my team’s most important objectives with this program update is to make it easier to do business with Cloudera, with the flexibility they need to run profitable businesses. We’re not a one-size-fits-all program.
On-Premise, multi-cloud, hybrid cloud: Have it your way
In talking with our partners and customers, we’ve recognized that the cloud is a journey, not a teleportation. By allowing for multiple form factors for multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments, CDP lets partners serve their customers with comprehensive data strategies.
With Cloudera Connect, we’re now delivering new enablement and business models to support these new opportunities. And, we’ve created compelling incentives in our co-selling and reselling business models.
With respect to enablement, partners will find new resources and training on the Cloudera Connect Partner Portal. We’re working to make it easier than ever to build and sell solutions on CDP using our best practices, reference architectures, and sample code. We’re also offering new sales and pre-sales resources, including a Demo Center in the partner portal and regional enablement workshops.
New Market Development Funds: Invest more in partners’ go-to-market strategy
Another exciting new feature of Cloudera Connect is market development funds (MDF)! Qualifying partners can now earn and access MDF to build pipelines with Cloudera.
Partners receive a percentage for every new and expansion opportunity that they either resell or source. Unlike some other MDF programs, both resellers and co-selling partners can earn MDF with Cloudera. This approach aligns with our goal of offering flexibility to customers and partners. We accommodate partners’ preferred routes to market and give customers choices.
New Solution Competencies: Shine a light on unique solutions and expertise
Cloudera customers are looking to solve a wide range of business problems with data, and they need to be able to show quick results. Our partners can help them adopt new strategies and technologies much faster. Our new Solution Competencies will help Cloudera Connect partners demonstrate their expertise, technical capabilities, industry know-how, and proven customer success on the Cloudera platform. Solution Competencies are attained for specific categories of business problems, enterprise data use cases or industries. They give customers the confidence to engage with partners knowing what problems they are good at solving.
Since Solution Competencies highlight partners who have invested in Cloudera, Cloudera invests in promoting these joint solutions and presenting them during sales engagements. For example, we’ve revamped the Solution Gallery on Cloudera.com to showcase these valuable offerings.
Refreshed Technology Certifications for the Cloudera Data Platform
Cloudera customers appreciate the extra level of assurance afforded by adopting integrated technologies that have achieved Cloudera Connect Technology Certifications. We’ve expanded our Technology Certifications to support partner products that integrate with the Cloudera Data Platform across all deployment models (public cloud, private cloud, on-premise). Customers are already asking our team about the availability of Technology Certified partner products for CDP, so we’re encouraging all of our partners to start the process as soon as possible.
Look out for an upcoming blog post from our partner solutions engineering team for more details on the program.
Revamped partner portal: Find what you need faster
We are continuing to improve on the new partner portal launched this year, to make it easier to work within the program and adapt to specific partner needs. The partner portal offers a visual partner scorecard so partners can keep track of requirements and attainment, deal registration functionality, training and enablement resources, and more.
Look for more details on the partner portal in a blog post that will be published in the coming days.
Cloudera Connect provides hundreds of more reasons to say yes
The market landscape around enterprise data is changing incredibly fast. Our partners have a lot of choices when it comes to the technology platforms upon which they build their businesses. With Cloudera Connect, we are focusing on giving everyone in our ecosystem more reasons to say yes.
- Our customers have the confidence to say yes to new machine learning and analytics applications because they can count on end-to-end solutions, skilled resources and certified technologies being available from Cloudera Connect partners
- Partners can say yes because they know that Cloudera is investing in them and evolving our program to address new industry trends and business models.
Cloudera Connect is a partner program that’s:
- Inclusive, with many paths to value
- Adaptable, accommodating multiple selling models and journeys to the cloud
- Trusted by our customers because it recognizes the skills and solutions that they value
- Backed up with Cloudera’s commitment to grow the market together with partners
Together, we can innovate faster and better. You can learn more about Cloudera Connect on our program overview page.
Find out about all of our Cloudera Connect partners on the Partner Listing page and visit our Solution Gallery on Cloudera.com.
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