Embattled telephony vendor Nortel has unleashed a string of partner incentives in a bid to retain partner loyalty.

The new programmes will provide channel partners with loyalty rewards, competitive pricing initiatives and marketing support for unified communications and multimedia applications equipment.

The Channel Loyalty Programme for partners in EMEA offers resellers, buying from Nortel and its Premier distributors, rewards for reaching or exceeding their quarterly turnover targets, enabling them to increase their margins.

Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, Nortel recently offset a 15 per cent drop in sales by cutting operating expenses by double that amount during 2008's closing quarter.

Nortel has also launched a Match Plus programme which enables partners to match or beat any like for like commercial competitive bid on any solution within Nortel's SMB and enterprise voice, data and applications portfolios.

In addition the vendor has introduced a Fast Start 2 programme to help partners sell new IP telephony systems that can be expanded to grow with the customers' needs as they convert more users to IP, unified communications and multimedia applications.

Amanda Giddins, pan-European channels leader at Nortel Europe, said: “Channel partners play an integral role in our market strategy, and we want to share with them our renewed commitment by providing better incentives and flexibility to sell to both Nortel's installed base and to win new customers.

“Customers today are looking to upgrade to newer technologies that can drive down costs, improve time to revenue and enhance their chances to succeed in the current economic climate.”

January also saw a number of Nortel’s partners pledge their unwavering support for the vendor’s decision to file for Chapter 11.

On Nortel’s new partner incentives Darren Boyce, managing director of Applinet, said: “The introduction of the new Nortel programmes enables Nortel's partners to attract new customers as well as better support their existing clients.

“In a time when capital costs and investment in new technologies is being closely guarded, today's Enterprises will welcome programs like Fast Start 2, and the reseller community will enjoy the ability to become more profitable for their loyalty.”