Analyst(s): Alex Smith, Tiffani Bova
Publication Date: February 5, 2026
Pure Storage has announced updates to its reseller, managed services, and distributor partner programs, introducing a new Ambassador tier and solution-focused designations. The changes emphasize technical expertise, data-centric services, and partner enablement as the company reinforces its indirect-first go-to-market strategy.
What is Covered in this Article:
- Introduction of a new Ambassador tier within the Pure Storage reseller partner program
- Expansion of solution practice designations across AI and analytics, cyber resilience, cloud, and application modernization
- Refocusing of the managed services partner program on data-centric offerings
- Expanded distributor role in partner enablement, training, and scale
- Early execution indicators supporting the partner-led model
The News: Pure Storage announced updates to its global partner programs covering resellers, managed service providers, and distributors. The changes introduce a new top-tier Ambassador level for select resellers, add solution practice designations recognizing verified technical expertise, and refocus managed services partnerships around data-centric offerings where storage plays a foundational role. Pure Storage also described a more granular reseller tier structure, including an entry ‘authorized’ starting point and a ‘preferred’ level with baseline enablement requirements before progressing to elite and ambassador.
The company also expanded the role of distributors to support faster partner readiness through new growth incentives, increased marketing investment, and a broader mandate to deliver training. The refreshed program is backed by a significant increase in partner incentives and investment, alongside deeper enablement. The update also includes new partner-facing tools such as a partner intelligence capability, a program compliance dashboard, and competitive intelligence access to support quoting, renewals, and expansion activity.
Pure Storage Revises Its Partner Program. Is Outcomes-Led Focus the Shift?
Analyst Take: Pure Storage’s partner program update formalizes a shift toward rewarding technical depth and solution outcomes rather than volume-based participation. The introduction of the Ambassador tier, combined with solution practice designations, reflects an effort to more clearly identify and enable partners that can embed the Pure Storage platform across multiple solution areas, including AI and analytics, cyber resilience, cloud, and application modernization. What makes this especially unique is the fact that each of these solution areas ties with a Pure Storage alliance partner, such as Commvault (Cyber Resilience) or NVIDIA (AI). Pure Storage is embedding alliance co-sell into the upper echelons of its core partner program.
The update builds on prior program changes that revamped enablement toward solution selling and differentiation, expanded services as a formal program pillar, and introduced new partner tools to improve visibility into renewals, expansions, and program compliance. Pure Storage also described more than doubling partner profitability investment in FY 2026, with some partners seeing nearly a 3x increase based on business mix. Taken together, the update positions the partner ecosystem as a primary mechanism for delivering integrated infrastructure outcomes.
Partner Differentiation Through Technical Validation
The updated program explicitly prioritizes verified technical expertise and operational impact over scale-based participation. Solution practice designations are designed to recognize partners with the skills, tools, and experience to deliver outcomes across four defined solution areas. The validation approach described includes checks on alliance partner program tier alignment, evidence of solution practice capabilities such as labs for POCs and demos, customer references, and solution-specific assets such as briefs and white papers. It also incorporates services readiness, including whether partners can deliver consult-deploy-optimise engagements through formal professional services practices and solution-area specializations. This structure provides a clearer signal to customers seeking partners with demonstrable capability rather than transactional reach. Partner feedback from Commvault and Insight underscores the perceived value of solution-focused specialization in helping customers navigate modern infrastructure and cyber risk. The emphasis on formal recognition aligns with Pure Storage’s stated focus on verified technical expertise, solution specialization, and operational impact. This approach reframes partner differentiation as a function of validated expertise rather than partner tier alone.
Ambassador Tier and Deeper Partner Alignment
The newly introduced Ambassador tier is positioned as the top reseller level with a high bar, with Pure Storage starting the fiscal year with no Ambassador partners and targeting an eventual low single-digit set of qualifying partners per country. Ambassador partners will collaborate with Pure Storage on developing solution briefs and go-to-market offerings, extending their role beyond certification into solution definition. Ambassador qualification also requires breadth across solution practice designations, with at least two solution areas required in addition to other requirements such as migration competencies and customer and service delivery expectations. Comments from partners such as SVA and World Wide Technology highlight alignment with customer demand for integrated AI, cloud, and cyber resilience solutions. The structure implies a tighter feedback loop between Pure Storage and its most advanced partners. By formalizing this tier, Pure Storage is focusing engagement on partners positioned to deliver outcomes across multiple solution areas. The Ambassador tier, therefore, functions as both a recognition mechanism and a coordination model.
Managed Services and Data-Centric Services Focus
Pure Storage’s managed services partner program is being refocused on offerings where data and storage are foundational, including private and sovereign cloud, Storage-as-a-Service, and backup and disaster recovery. As part of the update, Pure Storage has restructured its MSP tiers from Elite and Preferred to Premier and Foundation, creating a clearer separation from the reseller program. The company has stated it will prioritize collaboration with partners delivering these services using Pure Storage as the underlying data platform. Pure Storage also described stronger traction for its subscription model in the MSP space, citing that Evergreen//One traction is roughly twice as high in MSP as in resale. The MSP program changes also include an MSP-only specialization track, predictable fixed-price rate card pricing, and an incentive structure designed to support service creation and go-to-market execution. Partner perspectives suggest that data-centric services are increasingly tied to resilience and recovery outcomes rather than standalone infrastructure components. By narrowing the MSP focus, Pure Storage is clarifying where it expects partners to build differentiated service offerings. The update reinforces storage as a core enabler rather than an ancillary component within managed services.
Distributor Enablement and Program Scale
In international markets, distributors are being assigned an expanded role in driving scale and readiness across the partner ecosystem. Program updates include new growth incentives, increased marketing investment, and a broader scope for distributors to deliver training to reseller partners. Pure Storage also described holding distributors more accountable for training and enablement, alongside increased incentives and demand generation aimed at scaling readiness across the broader partner community. A 700% increase in the number of partner AEs and SEs completing formal training was cited as one of the encouraging enablement indicators. These changes are intended to provide clearer paths to margin and more predictable growth engines for partners. The emphasis on distributor-led enablement suggests an effort to standardize onboarding and skill development at scale. Rather than relying solely on direct vendor-partner engagement, Pure Storage is extending responsibility across the channel structure. This model places distributors at the center of operational execution for the updated program.
Program Execution Signals and Early Validation
Enablement, services delivery, and partner-sourced demand indicators were cited as evidence that the program changes are translating into execution. Over the past year, Pure Storage reported a 50% increase in partner-delivered services and a 20% increase in partner-sourced bookings. The company also reiterated that a majority of its bookings are delivered as-a-service, reinforcing alignment with partner-led consumption models. Pure Storage further emphasized its 100% partner-only stance, noting it does not offer a direct purchasing option and does not compete with partners. These metrics position the program update as an extension of an already expanding partner-driven motion rather than a reset.
What to Watch:
- Execution of the Ambassador tier in terms of how many partners qualify and how tightly collaboration is structured
- Partner uptake of solution practice designations across the four defined solution areas
- Effectiveness of distributor-led training and enablement in accelerating partner readiness
- Partner response to the narrower, data-centric focus within the managed services program
- Adoption and practical usefulness of partner-facing tools, including partner intelligence, compliance tracking, and competitive intelligence access
- How tightly Pure Storage constrains initial alliance partner coverage within solution designations before expanding to additional partners over time
See the complete press release on the Pure Storage partner program evolution on the Pure Storage website.
Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process: This content has been generated with the support of artificial intelligence technologies. Due to the fast pace of content creation and the continuous evolution of data and information, The Futurum Group and its analysts strive to ensure the accuracy and factual integrity of the information presented. However, the opinions and interpretations expressed in this content reflect those of the individual author/analyst. The Futurum Group makes no guarantees regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of any information contained herein. Readers are encouraged to verify facts independently and consult relevant sources for further clarification.
Disclosure: Futurum is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum as a whole.
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Author Information
Alex is Vice President & Practice Lead, Ecosystems, Channels, & Marketplaces at the Futurum Group. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining the Channels Research program as part of the overall Futurum GTM and Channels Practice. This includes overseeing the channel data rollout in the Futurum Intelligence Platform, primary research activities such as research boards and surveys, delivering thought-leading research reports, and advising clients on their indirect go-to-market strategies. Alex also supports the overall operations of the Futurum Research Business Unit, including P&L segmentation, sales and marketing alignment, and budget planning.
Prior to joining Futurum, Alex was VP of Channels & Enterprise Research at Canalys where he led a multi-million dollar research organization with more than 20 analysts. He played an integral role in helping the Canalys research organization migrate into Omdia after having been acquired in 2023. He is an accomplished research leader, as well as an expert in indirect go-to-market strategies. He has delivered numerous keynotes at partner-facing conferences.
Alex is based in Portland, Oregon, but has lived in numerous places, including California, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the UK. He has a Bachelor in Commerce and Finance Major from Dalhousie University, Halifax Canada.
Tiffani Bova is Chief Strategy and Research Officer at The Futurum Group.
Ranked for the last six years in the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, Tiffani Bova is a thought leader who Forbes says “reshapes our perception of growth.”
As both a practitioner and academic she offers a unique perspective and has helped lead the tech industry through several evolutions over her nearly 30-year career as Salesforce’s former Growth and Innovation Evangelist, and previously as a Distinguished Analyst and Research Fellow at Gartner and a sales, marketing and customer service executive for start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of two Wall Street Journal bestsellers: GrowthIQ and The Experience Mindset.
