Channel technologies, Channel partner programs

NoSQL Databases Attract Channel Partners

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When it comes to the big data market, many channel partners are beginning to focus on Hadoop -- the storage grid technology. But take a closer look and you'll see growing channel momentum for various NoSQL databases. The latest proof points will emerge this week at Cassandra Summit in Santa Clara, Calif.

Hosted by DataStax, the summit is expected to attract roughly 6,000 attendees -- including customers and developers. And increasingly: Channel partners. The company's database, called DataStax Enterprise, is an Apache Cassandra/NoSQL platform "that meets the performance and availability demands of Internet-of-things (IoT), Web, and Mobile applications," the company claims.

Numerous companies promote various NoSQL offerings, but DataStax has been striving to set a de facto standard with Apache Cassandra the way Red Hat Enterprise Linux ultimately became the best-known commercial Linux for enterprise servers.

More than 500 enterprise customers globally, including 30 percent of the Fortune 100, have embraced DataStax for big data and analytics-driven applications. True believers include Target, Netflix, Comcast and eBay, just to name a few. Without disclosing exact figures, DataStax in April said it was seeing "strong participation and continued momentum for DataStax Startup Program and DataStax Partner Network Program."

The partner program has four partner categories that push far beyond the traditional reseller market -- as shown here:

Moreover, DataStax expects to train more than 25,000 developers and operations managers on Apache Cassandra in 2015, the company estimated back in June. Some of that training will certainly occur at this week's conference.

Big channel partners will also be on hand. Accenture Senior Manager TJ Glazier, for one, will describe how businesses can properly deploy DataStax to address compliance regulations across multiple regions and multiple verticals (banking, telecom, insurance, etc.).

Still, it's early in the NoSQL game. Only 10 percent of companies currently use NoSQL, while 56 percent of respondents claim their companies do not have plans to adopt NoSQL within the next three years, according to Dell survey results on NoSQL and Hadoop adoption from earlier this year.

Moreover, many customers are still struggling to find certified NoSQL and DataStax partners for their most pressing big data projects. For many established and aspiring customers, the safest place to likely search for DataStax partners is at this week's Cassandra Summit.

 

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.