Adaptec looks to spin channel partner web

Storage vendor Adaptec has made a bid to heighten its channel presence with the creation of a dedicated channel partner programme. The company hopes to gain 5000 new partners by the end of September.

Storage vendor Adaptec has made a bid to heighten its channel presence with the creation of a dedicated channel partner programme. The company hopes to gain 5000 new partners by the end of September.

Adaptec has created a password-protected website to augment its partner services. The site offers resellers and systems integrators access to various features, depending on their level in the two-tier system.

The scheme offers partners customised marketing and sales tools, online and onsite training, special offers and product knowledge. The company said it will assign individuals to all the partners in a certain region, and provide access to technical support over the internet seven days a week. A telephone service will be available from 7am until 6pm.

"We are just formalising things that have already been in place," said Joe Fagan, EMEA sales manager at Adaptec. "It's very much about educating our partners in the face of new, 'daunting' technologies, and for them to have some kind of human contact," he said.

The company unveiled the new programme at the Cebit show in Hannover last month and claimed to have had good response.

"We have already had 900 companies sign up for the programme," said Valerie Reyser, Adaptec's channel programme manager for northern Europe.

Although over half of those members are in Germany, 93 resellers in the UK have so far joined up.

The scheme is divided into Gold and Silver tiers. Adaptec requires Gold partners to meet criteria beyond the more standard Silver qualifications, as well as perform additional tasks. The Gold requirements include implementing Adaptec marketing initiatives, attending in-house training programmes and submitting monthly point-of-sale reports.

"There are requirements for Gold partners, but we give them the tools to complete them," Reyser said. "We looked at what already existed in terms of partner programmes, and then developed what the channel wanted."

Reyser added that the scheme would evolve over time to include new levels and new features to meet the channel's changing requirements.

Also published in Computer Reseller News