CA plans change of gear for channel
Vendor seeks to simplify relationship with partners
Computer Associates (CA) is to roll out changes to its 2004 channel strategy, claiming this will simplify its relationship with partners.
The vendor is looking to increase its indirect market share across EMEA.
As revealed during CA World 2003 in Las Vegas, CA will introduce the changes country by country throughout 2004.
As the first step in its strategy, CA has appointed Carlos Escapa as vice-president channel sales EMEA and Jim Darragh as director of UK channel sales. Further details of the changes have yet to be released.
Dave Ball, European indirect marketing manager at CA, said the updated strategy would be tailored to each country to "reflect the way consumers, small businesses and enterprise customers prefer to do business with CA and its partners".
Ball added that CA also has its online training and certification programme up and running, which allows partners to choose their own level of certification in some or all of CA's product brands.
He said the firm is hoping to attract new partners using the online tool.
"We have been criticised in the past for changing things too radically and have learned a lot from listening to our partners. Now we are just going to keep adding more benefits to our channel programme rather than changing it completely," Ball said.
Emma Foulds, strategic partner manager at VAR Trustmarque Solutions, was positive about the changes.
"Although we don't have all the details of the changes yet, CA is definitely listening to partners more and we are confident it will make changes that are positive for the channel," she said.