Promethean has developed a new partner programme based on reseller feedback that it has claimed will provide better support for VARs.
The move follows the vendor’s announcement at the start of the year that it intended to move from a 60 per cent direct, 40 per cent indirect business, to a fully channel focused business.
Paul Berry, director of UK business at Promethean, told CRN: “The transition will not happen over night but probably about 50 per cent of our business is indirect now.”
The new partner programme, Activpartner, consists of three accreditation levels: Registered, which is the entry level, Accredited and Premier. Promethean will offer marketing development funds and rebates to resellers in the top two levels.
“The higher levels of the programme are where I want to focus my efforts; I want to make being a Promethean reseller a worthy achievement,” Berry said. “There are about half a dozen VARs that will automatically step into the top level and then another three or four which, if they worked on a couple of things, could also go into that level.
“We’ve also simplified our pricing. Promethean pricing has often been based on a volume basis; we’ve ended that and said that if you’re a reseller at this level you’ll buy at this price. It was something VARs asked for.”
Mike Cardno, sales director at Promethean VAR Network and Cabling, said: “Promethean has listened to the needs of its existing channel and developed a programme that is fair and benefits both parties.”
Jack McGuigan, director of reseller Independent Products, said: “The formalisation of the rewards can only be a good thing. The new programme will spur Promethean’s resellers on as it will reward the ones who are selling more.”
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