EMC consults VARs at summit

EMC is planning a range of tweaks to its channel strategy next year following a successful partner summit in Rome last week.

The vendor brought its EMC and RSA partners together at one event for the first time since it acquired the security vendor in 2006. Partners from its most recent acquisition, Data Domain, were also present.

Peter Yarwood, EMEA partner and distribution sales director at EMC, said: “We show all our partners the changes we are proposing to the programme and let them give us feedback. New developments are always vetted by our partners first.”

Potential developments to expect next year include EMC bringing all the diverse versions of its partner programme in different regions under a global umbrella, and incorporating its RSA and Data Domain partners under the Velocity programme, said Yarwood.

He added that partners have also requested EMC-led sales training and more specialisations under its programme.

The vendor also launched its iGateway scheme at the conference to boost partner marketing strategies. As a result, resellers can set up and tailor a web site to offer customers the most up-to-date product information, white papers and video clips from EMC.

Denise Bryant, UK country manager at Magirus, said: “I have never known a vendor as willing to listen to partners as EMC. It genuinely listens to feedback and allows its partners to influence its future channel strategy. Other vendors could certainly learn a few things from it.”