Nutanix has attained Champion status in the 2021 Canalys EMEA Channel Leadership Matrix. Nutanix’s position in the matrix is based on partner feedback to the Canalys Vendor Benchmark, combined with a detailed assessment and evaluation of its recent channel activities and future prospects. Its position in the report is testament to Nutanix’s year on year improvement and commitment to driving effective, long term partnerships in a rapidly evolving market.

The report praised Nutanix’s simplified Elevate Partner Programme, which has enjoyed a positive reception from the channel ecosystem. It centres on moving away from the traditional revenue-based model to a more contemporary, value-lead one, based on partner competency and expertise, alongside a host of new partner tools and platform improvements. Additionally, Canalys commended the incentives  available for partners across all levels, the addition of Service Provider and Distributor elements to the programme, and rebates via deal registration that are weighted toward partner-originated deals which  encourage more partner autonomy. In line with Nutanix’s core belief of customer choice, the report called out the breadth of Nutanix’s joint go-to-market engagements with alliance partners which include Citrix, HPE, Lenovo, AWS, Microsoft and, most recently, Red Hat. These create attractive solution opportunities for partners and provide scope for rewards across the lifecycle.

Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst at Canalys said: “Industry trends and shifts in customer requirements are driving significant changes in go-to-market models and the vendor/partner relationship. During such times, only agile vendors will succeed. Their success will be based on offering a sophisticated mix of support, training, collaboration, co-sell and demand creation, while providing the technology programs, tools and platforms to manage a broadening and diverse partner ecosystem.” He continued: “While Nutanix partners are benefiting from growth in HCI and VDI products, its success can also be attributed to the company’s unwavering partner focus, as illustrated by its stellar Vendor Benchmark scores for technical support (92.6%), partner portals (92.2%) and accreditations (91.7%).”

Commenting on the accolade, Adam Tarbox, Vice President Channel Sales EMEA at Nutanix said: “The channel remains more important than ever to Nutanix. As called out in the Canalys matrix, Nutanix’s key strength lies in a staunch focus on the indirect business, accounting for almost all EMEA sales. As we see the business contribution of our partners increase worldwide, we have been steadfast in our efforts to create effective partnerships, balancing supporting our existing partners, while developing the right strategies for new partner models.” 

Tarbox continued: “It is always pleasing to be recognised by the industry, but when that recognition comes as a direct result of partner feedback, it is even better. Reaching Champion status is an impressive achievement and is as a result of our deep understanding of rapidly changing customer requirements, effective partnering and ultimately our commitment to continuously improving the partner experience of working with Nutanix.”

The Canalys EMEA Channel Leadership Matrix assesses vendor performance in the channel, based on channel feedback into the Vendor Benchmark over the last 12 months, and an independent analysis of vendor channel strategy, investment, execution and planned initiatives by experienced Canalys analysts.