AMD Fusion Partner Program: Distributors Join First Birthday Party

AMD is celebrating the first anniversary of its Fusion Partner Program, and the company has invited distributors to the party. If you’re selling AMD, be it GPUs or CPUs, read on to find out how AMD is looking to accelerate sales with their new distribution program…

I spoke to Trevor Montgomery, channel marketing manager at AMD, about the news. The bottom line about the announcement was one thing; “Make it easier to market and sell AMD solutions.”

AMD has combined their partner programs into one single program, with a single “moniker and foundational model” all designed around partner business models, taking into account differentiators like retailers, distributors, and more.

“We’re excited to announce the new distributor track…now the 6th part of our routes to market,” noted Montgomery. Simply put, the distributor track is open to channel partners with a distribution business model. That means sub-distributors, channel providers, master distributors, and direct distributors. This track also works for partners distributing all AMD products.

AMD has also beefed up their partner benefits, including easier access to training, information, enablement resources, connection benefits, and of course, the all important recognition, rewards, and sales incentives. There’s also been an encouragement of networking among partners.

Montgomery asserts: “Partners are now selling all AMD based solutions, [which includes] all products provided; CPU, GPU, or add-in boards. Partners selling all 3 (solutions) are up by 66%. “

Montgomery says the boost was due in part of partners seeing the value of a unified program, along with a laser-focus on “sales-out data” for evaluating what’s working for partners and what isn’t. With that comes an addition of a revamped rewards program that Montgomery stressed provides benefits even for the “select” — or bottom base tier — level of partners.

Overall, AMD has seen an increase in registration, with a huge increase in their top-tier level registration, a 56% jump of their elite partners since the program’s inception.

Still, fierce chip competition — plus Oracle’s potential interest in the chip market — have stirred questions about AMD’s commitment to remaining independent. According to Reuters, AMD CEO Dirk Meyer says the company is not for sale but willing to listen to interesting proposals. That’s a standard way of saying AMD is not soliciting offers for the company but AMD has a fiduciary responsibility to carefully review any potential incoming offers.

Additional reporting by Joe Panettieri. Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Weekly Newsletter; Webcasts and Resource Center; and via RSS; Facebook;   Identi.ca; Twitter and VARtweet.