Partner Q&A: DataEndure’s Jocelyn Erlandson on Becoming a #NetAppMVP

Fresh from a VIP experience at the Super Bowl in Atlanta, Jocelyn Erlandson, Alliances Manager at DataEndure, talks about how the NetApp partner program has enabled DataEndure to be a better company – it’s a partnership all the way.

What is your role at DataEndure?

Jocelyn: I’m the Alliances Manager here and that means I manage the relationships with our partners.

How long have you been doing that?

Jocelyn: I’ve been at DataEndure for about twelve years now. I work closely with NetApp sales and marketing to enable the partnership, get our people trained, manage campaigns and align our sales team with the NetApp sales team. We do a lot of account mapping and run campaigns and events to facilitate lead generation. NetApp is our leading storage partner and has been for years. The NetApp marketing program is really strong – it is matched by the quality of NetApp’s technology.

What can you tell us about DataEndure?

Jocelyn: It's a great company. We’re actually more like a close-knit family than a company. We've been around 35 years because we are experts with a solid reputation for services through to solutions. Our mission is to help enterprises achieve digital resilience – as such, we never sell anything we don't believe in 100%. That is one reason why NetApp has been with us for as long as they have – we believe in NetApp technology and the NetApp customer service / partner service culture.

What got you excited about the Partner Social Campaign & Contest that NetApp sponsored?

Jocelyn: Honestly, I was not very savvy when it came to social as a business tool. I have Facebook, which I use personally, and Twitter, but I didn't really post a whole lot. When the contest was announced, I talked to Diana, my NetApp marketing lead, and asked, ‘What should I be doing with this?’ Diana walked me through NetApp Nation (a NetApp content-sharing platform), which is where I was able to find great content.

There were articles and information on NetApp Nation that aligned with DataEndure and what we feel will benefit our customers. I would simply browse through and click to post what made sense.

The content was vetted and it’s good content – I didn’t have to think ‘Should I really be posting this?’ NetApp Nation took all the guesswork out of it.

What was your biggest lesson learned?

Jocelyn: NetApp has helped make social simple. A lot of my peers and colleagues have commented on or shared my posts.  We have been able to use social more effectively to begin conversations and drive more awareness. I’ve incorporated social into my day – usually once or twice – and I can be authentic and compelling by posting content that aligns to DataEndure and our messaging.

What did you think when you learned you were the winner of the Super Bowl prize?

Jocelyn: I was so excited! It was a bucket list experience. And we were treated like VIPs the entire time – not surprising, as NetApp does everything well.

Any final thoughts?

Simply that I am proud to be here at DataEndure, and proud of our partnership with NetApp; how deep it is and how long we've worked with them. We consider our partners an extension of the DataEndure family, and are excited about the joint value we continue to bring to our customers.

It was a dream to have the Super Bowl experience. I told everyone I met in Atlanta – I’m here because of NetApp.

To learn more about DataEndure, visit their website, connect with them on LinkedIn or follow them on Twitter @DataEndure.