IndependenceIT, the second desktop virtualization company this month to announce a channel program this month, is doing things a little differently.
The Allentown, Pennsylvania-based SaaS vendor specializes in virtualized desktops and has, at its core, a workspace automation platform called the Cloud Workspace Suite.
Rather than the three tiers based primarily on the level of sales commitment, IndependenceIT is separating ISV, MSP and VAR partners into two categories. The “Elite Partners” tier consists of those who package infrastructure, software and elements of service on top of Cloud Workspace for their own channels, while the second tier is made up of partners that sell directly to end users, manage infrastructure, or work with Elite partners to private label their platforms to provide services.
“We would love to work with companies that can consume our API and build their own IP on top, that are focused on driving business through their own channels,” said Seth Bostock, CEO of IndependenceIT, of the elite tier.
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The company has also created two groups, a technical account management team to meet with partners and help with provisioning and tech support, as well as a team for dedicated professional services and support to facilitate sales engineering.
This is all to bring greater efficiency into an ecosystem that Bostock said was growing in complexity.
In addition to this approach to channel partners, Bostock said that Independence is also aggressive when it comes to pricing, namely through the addition of scaling volume pricing for the channel.
What will start off as $7.50 per user per seat could be reduced by a dollar or more.
“As people come to work with us, after they build their own solutions, they can use our software,” Bostock said. “Each of these kind of partners that add special pieces to the puzzle.”