8x8, AT&T, Cisco, Other Vendors Update Partner Programs

Technology suppliers introduced new investments, priorities and even upheaval into their partner programs last month.

Many vendors in the worlds of IT, telecom and everything in between are making big pivots, and changes in their channel programs reflect those evolutions.

Take for instance, VMware's partner incentives for different points in the customer lifecycle, intended to bolster its shift to software and subscriptions. On a similar incentive theme, Cisco merged three reward programs to simplify the process for partners that are adopting recurring revenue models.

Channel Futures is also paying attention to the types of partners vendors are looking to attract. For instance, 8x8 – known for its presence in the technology advisor (agent) market – says it's seeing an uptick in business with value-added resellers (VARs).

Read our summary of channel program changes from November in the 13-image gallery.

Also, see October's biggest program updates if you missed them.