The program allows reseller partners to accelerate customer cloud deployments and digital transformation initiatives. It now provides an adaptable, customer-focused framework aimed at making it easier to engage with #Hedvig and sell software-defined storage ( #SDS ) and cloud offerings, the company said.
Phil Williams, Hedvig’s vice president of channels, tells Channel Partners there were two primary catalysts that motivated the program expansion.
“First, we’ve seen a dramatic evolution in partner business models," he said. “The shift to the cloud, the flexibility of software-defined technologies and changes in customer buying cycles have fueled this evolution. Solution providers aren’t just reselling products — they’re offering managed and public cloud services, bundling solutions and developing their own products and services in house. They are more integral than ever in the customer relationship and they are adapting their business to support those relationships. We needed a partner program that matched the level of flexibility we see in our partners’ business models. Flexibility is one of the core values guiding Hedvig."
And second, Hedvig recently closed its Series C funding round; expanding globally is a strategic priority, Williams said.
“Partners are at the forefront of that expansion," he said. “We believe the new program is particularly suited for the Asia Pacific region, where we see a lot of interest from partners in building software-defined storage practices and developing cloud solutions."{ad}
The updated program allows partners to adapt to changing market dynamics and customer needs, according to Hedvig. It is designed with the flexibility for a single partner to engage in multiple ways, including referring deals, integrating bundled offerings and offering managed services. Partners also will have the option to develop, market and sell their own branded offerings powered by Hedvig software.
“We believe the traditional, tiered partner program model is antiquated," Williams said. “The conventional ‘precious metal’ tiering system is rigid and designed around what the vendor needs, not the partner. It tends to reward large partners at the expense of smaller ones, without a good method for measuring strategic value. We turned this on its side. Our goal was to have a true value-based program, so we created an ecosystem model where a partner can engage differently based on the needs of each opportunity. We’ve also removed a lot of the barriers to entry that exist in most partner programs. Entry into the program, and access to the majority of sales and marketing resources is available to all partners without training requirements or other minimum commitments."
In addition, Hedvig is “investing heavily" in resources such as a new pricing model, partner portal, training and enablement tools," he said.
Hedvig has a channel-first go-to-market strategy, and more than 80 percent of its current revenue flows through the channel, Williams said.
http://www.channelpartnersonline.com/news/2017/04/hedvig-expands-cloudscale-partner-program-around.aspx
