Empalis & Predatar:
A story of Partnership.
Predatar’s APEX partner program is so much more than a traditional reseller channel. It’s built on the foundations of a long-standing, multi-disciplinary collaboration with Empalis Consulting GmbH, and the result is a global community of exceptional collaborators. In this interview, Markus Stumpf, Business Development Manager at Empalis, explains what it takes to be an APEX partner, and why you should talk to one if cyber resilience is a concern in your business.
Predatar: How did the partnership between Empalis & Predatar first come about?
Markus: It started almost 10 years ago. At the time, we were on the verge of launching our first managed backup and recovery service. Until then, Empalis had focussed on consulting and one-off engineering projects. It was an exciting time, but like any new venture, it was also a bit of risk. Would the service be a success? and if it was, could we scale it?
I met Alistair (Mackenzie, Predatar CEO) by chance at an IBM Storage conference in Las Vegas. He told me about Predatar, and I could instantly see how the automation and reporting features could help us. By automating daily reporting and other repetitive tasks, our service engineers could bring value to more customers.
Predatar: How did this partnership evolve?
Markus: Once we started using Predatar, our team began to see opportunities to enhance the platform further – to deliver even more value for our customers. Since the beginning, the Predatar team has actively looked for feedback, and we were more than happy to share our insights and ideas.
It soon became obvious that we would be great collaborators. We would challenge one another’s ideas and push the boundaries together. Before long, we were having a direct influence on the Predatar product roadmap, and Predatar was helping to shape the future of Empalis too.
Predatar: Can you give an example of how you’ve influenced the innovation of the Predatar Platform?
Markus: There are so many features and functions in Predatar that Empalis has influenced, but let me tell you about one of the more significant collaborations.
Today, Predatar is known for its innovative CleanRoom. In my opinion, it really is the most advanced Cyber Recovery Cleanroom solution available today. But let’s rewind a few years, before Predatar’s CleanRoom was even a spark of an idea.
I met with Alistair (Mackenzie) for a catch-up while he was in Germany on business back in 2019. We met in a small meeting room in Stuttgart. We weren’t intending for the session to be an R&D workshop, but by the time we were done, we’d mapped out the architecture of what would become Predatar’s first generation CleanRoom on a whiteboard.
Predatar: How else have you supported Predatar’s R&D?
Markus: Innovation at Predatar is rapid, but balancing this with rigorous testing has been a challenge for the Predatar team. We’ve been really happy to get hands-on and support with QA and usability testing. We want to get the latest tech to our customers, fast – but not before my team has put it through its paces – so this is a win, win.
Last year, Predatar formalised this process. They now run an Early Access Program (EAP) where Empalis and other APEX partners can test-drive new features. We’ve been putting CleanRoom 3.0 through its paces. Predatar’s third generation of Cyber Recovery Cleanroom will be a game-changer, making Recovery Assurance achievable for many more businesses.
Predatar: How has Predatar shaped Empalis?
Markus: Around 2 years ago we launched Viking Backup Guardian, our flagship managed backup and recovery service with Predatar baked-in. The service provides an immutable copy of customer’s backup data in our cloud, which we proactively verify for recoverability and cleanliness in a Predatar CleanRoom. Â
What our customers love about this service is that it takes away the cost and complexity of CleanRoom setup, it’s scalable – so you only pay for what you need, and it’s completely managed. Empalis will deal with all the day-to-day operational stuff.
When we launched Viking, it was totally unique, and even today, with the exception of other Predatar APEX partners, I’m not aware of any MSPs that offer anything similar.
Predatar: Can you explain a bit about the APEX program?
Markus: It’s no secret that Predatar has designed the APEX program with an ambition to replicate the success of the collaborative relationship between Predatar and Empalis. You could say that our partnership has been the blueprint for the program. Today, there are 24 Apex partners globally.
Of course, like any channel program this helps Predatar access markets around the world – but APEX is about so much more. The selection criteria is rigorous. APEX partners must demonstrate they have the vision and capabilities to deliver world-class, value-added services with Predatar under the hood.
Any IBM channel partner can resell Predatar, but only APEX partners are authorised to integrate Predatar into their own products and services.
Predatar: What’s next for Empalis and Predatar?
Markus: We will continue to help more and more customers achieve recovery confidence with the Empalis Viking Guardian service. But when it comes to innovation, anything could happen. Ask me again after our next whiteboard session!
To find out how Markus and the team at Empalis can help you manage complexity and boost data resilience in your organisation, contact them here.
Find an APEX partner in your region here.
