Nutanix revamped its partner program to include system integrators (SIs) for the first time.

The pivot will see SIs join resellers and consulting partners on the Elevate Partner Program. Nutanix Head of WW Ecosystem Strategy and Operations Marleen Hendrikx noted the decision comes as complexity grows in customer IT environments, requiring integrators to help organizations shape IT strategy and design solutions amid those challenges.

"(Financial year 2027) marks our largest investment to date in the Elevate Program. We’ve built this commitment around a simple idea: partner opportunity should extend beyond a single transaction. To make that vision a reality, we have fundamentally aligned our go-to-market (GTM) motion with how you build, consult, and deliver," Hendrikx explained.

Eligible partners can also benefit from the Powered by Nutanix: Verified Services program to access earned business development funds (BDF) for qualifying GTM activities, subject to program requirements.

Nutanix's announcement quoted partners such as Edge Solutions, with president Jay Waggoner claiming the enhancements gave the firm "greater flexibility to help customers accelerate hybrid cloud adoption and make the most of their existing technology investments.

"Together with Nutanix, Edge Solutions can help customers use the Nutanix Cloud Platform to simplify operations, prepare for enterprise AI, and gain greater choice in how and where they run their workloads" Waggoner noted.

The changes to Elevate Partner Program come somewhat later than planned, after an initial promise of a summertime launch that was made at its flagship .NEXT event earlier in the year.

Dan Gwyn, SVP of worldwide channels at Nutanix, told media to expect an incentive reorientation around platform sales and adoption, with Broadcom’s changes to VMware’s channel partner program helping with Nutanix’s expansion plans.