EqualLogic is honing its partner program with the promise of boosting the number of people it deals with the channel in training, sales and marketing.
“We think these resources can effectively double the business we do together with partners,” said Bob Skelley, vice-president of worldwide channels at the Nashua, N.H.-based firm.
The company, which makes iSCSI storage area network solutions for mid-market enterprises, said this week that it is increasing resources in eight ways:–it wants to hire 10 account managers by the end of the year who will be dedicated to improving relations with partners.
Skelley said these staffers will help align the goals of EqualLoglic with the business plans of VARs.
Two of these new managers will have partial responsibilities for working with the company’s 50 Canadian channel partners;
–EqualLogic’s field staff, which helps VARs find, qualify and close sales, has been increased;
–a new field marketing team has been created to also help in lead generation and develop co-marketing initiatives;
–a new hotline has been created for answering partner questions and resolving problems;
–an eLearning centre filled with Web-based training modules has been added to the partner Web site, which includes certification testing;
–two interactive Webinars will be hosted by the company. The 20/20/20 program is for introducing new partners to products and services, while a monthly Information Express Webcast will feed partners sales tips;
–a new partner advisory council has been created to go along with quarterly regional roundtables with partners.
There are no changes to the framework of the company’s two-tier partner program, which is composed of Preferred partners, who have to sell $200,000 a year of product, and Business partners.
Andrew Betterton, president of Preferred partner Open Storage Solutions of Brampton, Ont., thinks the improvements will be good, but more for VARs with less storage experience than his 30-year-old firm.
“We like to think of ourselves as storage experts” already, he explained.
He’s been selling the EqualLogic line for two years. “Sales have been good,” he said. “It’s an easily demonstratable product.”
Skelley said the changes were made in part because EqualLogic felt it hasn’t done a good job of explaining its existing program.
He also said the company is still looking for more partners here, especially VARs who have VMWare, Microsoft and Cisco Systems practices.
EqualLogic’s IP-based SANs are a good fit with those technologies, he said.
The company’s line ranges from the rack-mounted PS50E for Web services and light databases to the PS Storage Stack, which can hold up to 128 disk drives of 750GB capacity each.
Comment: cdnedit@itbusiness.ca