The recent upheaval at Dell has led one in two of its partners to query its commitment to the channel as the vendor pledged to end conflict between its direct sales force and VARs.

According to an online CRN poll, 53 per cent of Dell resellers do not think Dell is committed to the channel following the shock departure of UK channel director Andy Dow.

Dell moved quickly to reassure partners it remains an ally of the channel and this month began tying a compulsory reseller quota into its internal sales staff’s targets.

Josh Claman, public sector vice president for EMEA at Dell, said: “In the new model they will not be able to hit their quotas unless they work with the channel. They will ask which partners have skills in their area and then say they need them on their team. Our sales people will have to become their best friends.”

About 15,000 EMEA resellers have registered to PartnerDirect since the programme was launched last January, yet just 100 have made the step up to Certified status.

Greg Davis, vice president of Dell Global Commercial Channels, said the vendor would focus more on its top tier in 2009.

“In the US, our Certified partners are growing with Dell six times as fast as Registered partners,” he said.

Dell was tight-lipped about who will take charge of the UK channel following Dow’s exit, but has unveiled Emmanuel Mouquet as its new EMEA channel sales director.

Adam Maurice, managing director of Dell Certified partner The Internet Group, said the VAR had been undercut by Dell’s direct sales staff on several deals this year.

“I cannot see this changing in the immediate future, no matter what Dell says, but who knows,” he said.

“We have invested a lot of time and money into becoming Certified. Dell has sold us a good story and now it has to deliver.”