At the core of Veeam Software Inc.’s pitch to the enterprise is its recognition that data is driving just about any business, and the need to manage that resource is significant. Companies want solutions that allow for the management and protection of data across any application or cloud infrastructure, and Veeam is prepared to deliver that.

This approach is resonating within the business world, as evidenced by Veeam’s recent growth, adding 133 customers per day. “People think of us as that strategic solution for their mission-critical, always-on [need], which we call hyper-availability for the enterprise,” said Peter McKay (pictured), co-chief executive officer and president of Veeam. “Any app, any data, any time.”

McKay spoke with Dave Vellante (@dvellante) and Stu Miniman (@stu), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, at the VeeamOn event in Chicago. They discussed the importance of Veeam’s partner network, hiring demands as the business grows, and a current sports playoff series. (* Disclosure below.)

Leveraging partner relationships

A key element of Veeam’s enterprise strategy is leveraging partnerships the company has built over the past decade. This has meant a renewed focus on up-leveling partner relationships to open new dialogue with enterprise firms willing to listen to Veeam’s hyper-availability, multi-track story.

“How can we make it easier for our customers to buy a combined solution versus the technology?” McKay asked. “We felt that if we could do more together with [partners], the customers would have a better experience.”

The growing customer pool has fueled a need to add new staff to support an expanding sales and support base. The company hired over 1,000 people during the past 12 months and expects to add 1,000 more in the coming year, according to McKay.

“We look for hungry, humble and smart,” he said.

In addition to his own organization, the Veeam executive maintains an avid interest in other teams, particularly the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics, which is currently engaged in a playoff battle with the Cleveland’s Cavaliers.

“[Celtics coach] Brad Stevens has exposed the Cleveland Cavaliers for the team that they are, which is LeBron [James] and a bunch of other guys,” McKay said. “He had 45 points, and they still lost!”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the VeeamOn event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for VeeamOn 2018. Neither Veeam Software Inc., the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE