Commvault’s Partner Advantage Program is designed to aid India’s data evolution: Mark Fong, VP, APAC, Commvault

Commvault, the NASDAQ-listed data backup and recovery company, recently brought to Indian market its partner-first strategy-based Global Partner Program that makes it easier and more profitable to do business with Commvault. The new tools and capabilities available through the Partner Advantage program are designed to help its partners accelerate business, expand the path to multiple revenue streams and consistently win more business.

Explaining more about the features of the Partner Program and its impact on the Indian market, through an interaction with VoicenData, is Mark Fong, Vice President of Channels & Alliances, APAC & Japan, Commvault.

Few excerpts: 

Voice&Data: India is the largest democracy in the world, now the country’s digital economy is expected to reach 4 trillion in the next 4 years. While the government continues to digitize India, it has also stayed consistent on its views on Data Sovereignty. What are your views on Data Sovereignty?

Mark Fong: The Indian market today is going through a datavolution (data evolution) where easy access to the internet with steep data discounts provided by cellular networks, has given a huge boom to the e-commerce Industry. Today every organization needs to provide an engaging (and therefore ‘data creating’) digital presence because that’s where the consumer is. This holds for both, B2B as well as B2C solutions.

This convergence of data flow in the country offers both complex challenges and opportunities for both individuals, organizations and the Indian government. In an attempt to accelerate and safeguard the online marketplace, the recent move by Niti Aayog to create an independent regulator for consumer data is a welcome step, especially when the Indian market is poised to take a giant leap towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025 – much of this growth will be fuelled by new-age digital technologies.

However, the only way to drive optimum value from this opportunity is through the standardization of rules and policies to regulate data, which further raises a fundamental question: Does a country have the correct infrastructure and regulatory policies to manage its citizen’s data safely?

The Reserve Bank of India for instance now mandates third-party partners and technology vendors to store data on Indian-located servers only. The ecosystem of governments, regulators and private sector companies need to work together to effectively manage, protect and use the Indian netizen’s data more efficiently.

Voice&Data: What is the potential that Commvault sees as India goes through this major digital shift?

Mark Fong: Majority of our business in this region comes through our long-lasting relationship with our partners. Our partner’s business, in turn, comes from the solid understanding that they have about their customers’ requirements. We’ve observed that our partner’s clients in this region are going through especially rapid evolution of digital transformation and therefore we need to ensure that this process is as smooth, secure and flexible as possible.

Commvault understands that we need to equip our partners with new tools and capabilities that will allow them to become key strategic advisors in this critical business element.

Realizing this responsibility that our customers need to take, Commvault understands that we need to equip our partners with new tools and capabilities that will allow them to become key strategic advisors in this critical business element. Commvault’s Partner Advantage program is exactly designed to do that. It helps partners accelerate their business, expand the path to multiple revenue streams in this hyper-connected world and consistently win more clients.

Voice&Data: Commvault has recently been in news for the launch of the company’s new partner program last month? Can you detail on the program and also indicate why it is labeled as the simplest and beneficial program ever in company history?

Mark Fong: Commvault’s newly launched Partner Advantage Program is the most ambitious to date. The simplicity and transparency of our program combined with the extensive level and diversity of the financial incentives make this our most partner-friendly and competitive Partner Program. It will see rewards for our top resellers more than double. Distributors are also in line to see improvements, with those bringing in new business and making the required transactions able to earn 1.65 times more than before. The new Partner Advantage program also offers four partner tracks: Distributor, Solution Provider, Global System Integrator and Alliances, and Service Provider. Overall, it’s a program that will suit the Indian market well and enable partners, consumers here to drive their businesses on the road to success.

Voice&Data: With the changing dynamics of data requirements, how is Commvault positioned to render the partner program?

Mark Fong: With data being created everywhere the requirements are boundless. Realizing this, Commvault is setting the stage for partners to take a long and financially beneficial journey with them, because it is a journey that all our partner eco-system will need to take and that many are already well advanced on. No matter where a customer is currently situated in the program, they are being provided the tools and capabilities to attract and win new customers, expand their business footprints utilizing Commvault’s industry-leading data management platform. The financial rewards partnering with Commvault have never been better, more focused and simpler to understand and achieve.

No matter where a customer is currently situated in the program, they are being provided the tools and capabilities to attract and win new customers, expand their business footprints utilizing Commvault’s industry-leading data management platform.

Voice&Data: Is your partner strategy going to be the same for the Indian market? Is it aligned to keep in mind the current paradigm shift that several businesses are going through?

Mark Fong: The data evolution is not just happening in the Indian market, but for the whole world. So, while our partner programs are designed globally, they are also completely aligned to the localized requirements of our India based partners. There is a huge appetite from Indian partners to grow and equally large market opportunity to be fulfilled so this program will be mutually beneficial to all.

Commvault’s CEO Sanjay Mirchandani understands this very clearly and has underlined his commitment to making Commvault a truly partner-centric organization both globally and also within the Indian market. The new enhancements represent an evolution in our program with a focus on simplification, innovation and market execution.