New, Changing Channel Programs: 8x8, AT&T
Cybersecurity dominates our roundup again, as is the new norm.
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8x8
The cloud services provider unveiled a new partner portal.
PartnerXchange provides a platform for submitting deal registrations and connecting to sales-related information.. Partners can also access marketing tools and training modules in the portal. The vendor created it based on partner feedback and the goal of simplifying partner interactions with 8x8.
8×8’s channel chief told us more about the new product.
BCN
The broadband aggregator now partners with Wave Business.
It's yet another broadband-related partnership for BCN, which has been stockpiling alliances with companies like Altice USA, Suddenlink and now Wave Business. Wave, which is the result of RCN Telecom Services, Grande Communications and Wave Broadband combining, offers Ethernet and broadband.
BCN has been busy this year. It announced a partnership with MasterStream ERP a week prior.
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Get details on their agreement.
LogicMonitor
The IT monitoring platform launched its first formal partner program to help resellers, SIs, MSPs and technology integrators.
The LogicMonitor Partner Network offers sales and marketing support, training, deal registration and partner managers. The company said its partners can join it in tackling a $47 billion market for cloud-focused IT infrastructure products.
Read Edward Gately's recap of the announcement.
AT&T
Ma Bell is ramping up education opportunities for partners.
AT&T Partner Solutions is going on "Road Shows" to serve members of the carrier's Partner Exchange and Alliance Channel programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss in-depth technological topics as well as go-to-market strategies.
The shows will be in Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Anaheim.
Check out our full conversation with channel chief Zee Hussain.
Check Point
Check Point plans to restart its partner program this year.
Check Point’s head of worldwide channel sales said at a partner event that his company's channel program will undergo a "redo" at some point within the next 12 months. The security company at the same time announced a new program designed to "gamify" partner activities like training and customer meetings.
Read our recap from the event.
HashiCorp
The cloud infrastructure automation provider's new professional services program offers implementation packages for its multicloud provisioning and multicloud security products.
A select "bench" of consultants will provide the professional services. HashiCorp executives say the new program provides a standard framework for partners that serve HashiCorp's direct customers.
Read about the new program.
Splunk
The company rolled out a series of changes and additions to its partner program.
The announcements included a new systems integrator (SI) partner program track, simplified deal registration for the reseller program and extra rebates for top partners. Customers drove 76 percent of Splunk's new customers in its last fiscal year.
The company at the same time announced Aziz Benmalek as its channel chief.
Learn more about Splunk and its channel enhancements — on Channel Futures.
AWS
The cloud giant put forward stringent requirements for its managed service provider partners.
The AWS MSP Partner Program now requires an annual review of performance, with specific goals like generating customer opportunities in play. The overall changes to "Validation Checklist" 4.0 emphasize oversight and customer satisfaction. We talked about the new requirements with CenturyLink, which seems to be taking the changes in stride.
Read Jeffrey Burt's Channel Futures article.
VMware
The virtualization company offered a high-tech competency to partners.
Certified partners can sell VMware's Pivotal Container Service (PKS), which the company developed with Pivotal. The solution helps businesses "provision, operate and manage production-grade Kubernetes clusters." According to a VMware partner leader, Pivotal and VMware ran a pilot program to identify and invest in partners selling PKS.
Read about the new competency.
Dell EMC
Dell EMC made its 2019 partner program official with a set of "refinements."
The changes followed a lengthy list of partner statistics. Partners generated more than 15,000 new and reactivated customers last year and were responsible for $49 billion in delivered orders. But the company's president of global channel for OEM and IoT solutions said she wants partners to hit $70 billion this year.
Lynn Haber has the scoop on how that number can be reached.
Microsoft
Microsoft rolled out new playbooks and tools to help partners hone HR skills and recruit talent.
Channel chief Gavriella Schuster congratulated members of the Microsoft channel in a recent "State of the Channel Modern Partnership" briefing. Partners by her calculations are joining Microsoft at a rate of 7,500 per month and driving 95 percent of the company's commercial revenue. She called on partners to bring cloud, IP, AI, and co-sell into their practice.
For another Lynn Haber special, check out Channel Futures.
Axcient
The cloud migration and business availability vendor is reviewing and brainstorming how it helps MSP partners do business.
The company works with a variety of partners, but its new CEO told Channel Futures that the company's "absolute focus" is on serving MSPs. Axcient works with more than 3,000 MSPs. David Bennett, the new CEO, officially started his new job March 4.
Read our article about Bennett and his plans.
WhiteHat
WhiteHat Security included DevSecOps support in its new Partnership Program.
That means a new set of "knowledge, tools and further competencies in DevSecOps" with fast growth in mind. WhiteHat said it supports partners through the full sales cycle, giving them education, training and support with marketing and post-sales.
Edward Gately wrote about the new program.
WhiteHat
WhiteHat Security included DevSecOps support in its new Partnership Program.
That means a new set of "knowledge, tools and further competencies in DevSecOps" with fast growth in mind. WhiteHat said it supports partners through the full sales cycle, giving them education, training and support with marketing and post-sales.
Edward Gately wrote about the new program.
The big cybersecurity vendors are doubling down on the channel.
Check Point, Splunk and WhiteHat joined a long list of security providers enhancing or formalizing programs for partners last month. Our friends at Channel Futures had their hands full in the month of February, covering the gamut of security, cloud migration and software-related companies.
On the Channel Partners side, BCN continued its streak of broadband-focused supplier partnerships, and 8×8 offered its partners a new tool.
Vendors are helping their partners in unique ways. New rebates, portals and certifications are just a few examples. Scroll through our gallery below to learn about a dozen of the most interesting changes we saw last month.
Missed the previous gallery? Read about January’s big partner-program changes.
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