There was a time when business software vendor SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) was known for not being the most channel-friendly of companies. However, with Kevin Gilroy, senior vice-president of channels, about to mark three years with the vendor, The VAR Guy reports that reputation no longer holds true:
The result: SAP is balancing its “powerful” direct sales heritage with channel DNA, which has vastly reduced channel conflicts to “just a few. We now have clear swimming lanes for our partners. And that means we’ve been able to grow [channel sales] north of 25 percent quarter after quarter.”
(Click here to read SAP channel chief Kevin Gilroy: Still delivering 25% growth)
A channel veteran with HP and Arrow Electronics before he joined HP, Gilroy made improved marketing in the SME space a priority, with programs around demand generation, partner-led demand generation, spiffs, floor days and webinars.
The vendor says it is well on its way to its goal of earning 40 per cent of its total global revenues through the channel by 2013. In Canada, with the exception of the 150 named accounts, all of the Canadian market is open for SAP partners. It amounts to over 8000 net new accounts for the channel,as of late last year.