Huge Year For Carbonite Brings New CEO, Headquarters And Partner Program

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Carbonite’s motto for 2014 could easily be ’All New Everything.’ Over the past year, the backup and recovery vendor launched a partner program, moved headquarters into "MTV Cribs"-worthy office space, and appointed a new CEO. And really, all those changes have come on the back end of the year.

Carbonite, whose beginnings were firmly in the direct-sales world, launched what it calls a ’world-class’ partner program in July. The company targeted a partner base ’focused on driving small and medium business solutions.’ In 2014, Carbonite saw 55 percent growth in its partner base.

According to Vice President of Global Channel Sales David Maffei, that was just the first step in directing Carbonite toward the channel.

Carbonite appointed Mohamad Ali as CEO earlier in the month, in hopes of being able to ’let go and shed our consumer-based and direct roots,’ according to Maffei.

’Mohamad has a lot of experience in the channel,’ he said. Ali previously reported directly to HP CEO Meg Whitman as Chief Strategy Officer.

The biggest physical move Carbonite made this year was in office space: the Boston-based company moved into a swanky new loft outfitted with custom-painted Star Wars murals, espresso machines, a ping-pong table, fireplace, and gorgeous lighting installations.

Maffei called the building, ’A much more modern, friendly environment that allows people to get the creative juices flowing.’

With its new CEO and offices, Carbonite rounded out the year with an acquisition of MailStore, a German email archiving company. Maffei said the company saw demand in the email backup space, and hopes the German company will also help Carbonite build a European presence.

Carbonite’s New Year's resolution is concentrated on channel sales.

’What you’ll continue to see is a focus on that overall solution partner,’ Maffei said.

PUBLISHED DEC. 18, 2014