Nutanix introduced the hyperconverged architectural model to the enterprise world, simplifying IT infrastructure and eliminating complexity. The company's rolling upgrade approach and user-friendly interface make them a key player on the market. Fabrizio Heitzmann, Sales Manager at Nutanix Luxembourg, retraces his own journey since the creation of the Luxemburgish franchise 6 years ago. He tells us his view of the market and how he envisions the future.

How did you experience the last 6 years at Nutanix?

“Luxembourg being vast in terms of potential customer profiles, we decided to address this very typical market 6 years ago through the creation of Nutanix’s Luxemburgish franchise. Our strategy was simple: to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market. During the first 6 months, we engaged with key players on the market and our customers to gather insights on their technology usage and pain points, and identify areas for improvement. Following this extensive research period, we began acquiring more customers, which marked the beginning of a continuous growth trajectory. Today, after six years, we have successfully built a customer base of 70 or more.”

“Despite having only two employees in Luxembourg, - our lead architect Julien Varela and myself - we have achieved significant business growth. Over the past six years, we have gained recognition and an increasing number of people are now familiar with Nutanix. We firmly believe that we have earned legitimacy and it's now undeniable that we are relevant. Our customers have undergone transformational experiences with us and have seamlessly integrated mixed technologies into our strategic framework.”

“Our success also stems from the freedom of choice we provide to our customers. They can select their preferred hardware vendors, hypervisors, and cloud providers when utilizing Nutanix. By keeping all options open, our open system and technology enable diverse IT strategies. This flexibility is crucial when navigating uncertainties and building resilient IT strategies as a CIO or CTO. It is essential not to limit possibilities, as what holds true today may not hold true tomorrow.”

“Difficult times are inevitable, such as the recent pandemic, but we observed that our customers remained steadfast in their belief in Nutanix. Moreover, the corporate entity has consistently provided support to our franchise, recognizing the soundness of our strategies and assuring us that our efforts will bear fruit. We have proven ourselves in the market, particularly within large organizations, and this has garnered the support of Nutanix corporate. They have been eager to assist us through marketing initiatives, which have fortified our brand.”

What are the reasons for Nutanix's success, especially in Luxembourg?

“Today, customers are presented with numerous options, ranging from fully embracing public cloud solutions to considering various alternatives for running both legacy and modern applications. Success hinges upon our customers' ability to orchestrate a consortium of technologies. As previously mentioned, relying solely on one provider for building a strategy is inadequate, as such a provider can't cater to all their needs. And Nutanix is exceptionally positioned to articulate and orchestrate a comprehensive technology consortium.”

“Differentiation is key in a competitive market, and we differentiate ourselves through our commitment to customer experience. Our support function is a cornerstone, if not the pillar, of our success. Serving over 70 customers in a relatively small market like Luxembourg necessitates a top-notch support team that is dedicated to delivering the best experience possible. Our support team comprises only level 3 and level 4 engineers. We heavily invest in our support function because it serves as our growth guardian, ensuring customer satisfaction. It is worth noting that our closest competitors, while achieving their own successes, didn’t invest as extensively in their direct support capabilities as we did. Their support function is mainly made up of level 1 and 2 technicians which solve problems by following standard operating procedures. We firmly believe that level 3 and 4 engineers possess the expertise to make a significant difference. When a customer logs a ticket with Nutanix, it is typically handled by the engineer who initially opened the case, as they possess a holistic understanding of the entire stack. This approach enhances our market differentiation and contributes to our Net Promoter Score with an exceptional rating of 96 in Luxembourg.”

How do you envision the future?

“Gaining market share is crucial for any company. For Nutanix, it can only be achieved by having partners actively promote and talk about us throughout the country. Therefore, our primary focus for the next year is to enable our partners to fully understand and embrace our vision and strategy, ensuring they are fully onboarded.”

“We need to grow a community around us. This community will thrive by riding on the wave of Nutanix's success. Hence our approach centers around building and nurturing strong partnerships. To put it simply, our partners hold the key to our success, and we deeply value their contributions. Collaborating with partners is the most effective approach to achieve success in the current landscape.”