WAN optimisation vendor Riverbed Technology has launched its Riverbed Partner Network (RPN) programme across EMEA as the first step in a worldwide rollout.

Riverbed's UK VARs will now benefit from a deal registration scheme which has been brought in after proving popular in the US. Resellers will also now be grouped into Gold, Silver and Platinum tiers and, for the first time, Platinum partners will begin to earn rebates in the fourth quarter of this year.

Bertrand Yansouni, vice president of worldwide channel sales, told CRN: "We are ensuring we invest in partners who invest in us. For the Gold and Platinum partners there are revenue requirements that equate to greater benefits. We are rewarding the partners who are investing in us."

Riverbed claims its distributors will also benefit from the revamp with increased marketing development funds and a programme which allows them to become Authorised Training Providers for both customers and resellers. Johnna Bowley, senior director of worldwide channel and partner marketing at Riverbed, said: “This gives our distributors an incremental revenue source, and gives our VARs more local training classes available to build their competency in Riverbed products and solutions.”

David Galton-Fenzi, group sales director of Riverbed distributor Zycko, said: "We have been a Riverbed distributor since the early days. The new programme investments Riverbed is making will help us to become an even closer and more successful business partner, driving joint VAR account development.”