Sun VARs hit out at Oracle charges

Partners in revolt over Oracle's partner programme charges

Rod Evans: Storage vendors see potential for new partners

Long-standing Sun resellers are threatening to desert Oracle over the vendor’s decision to charge them for entry to its partner programme.

Sun partners were told several months ago that they had until mid-October to join Oracle’s partner programme and retain reseller rights to its product portfolio.

One industry source predicts the decision could result in about “150 to 200” Sun resellers leaving.

A Sun Associate partner, who asked to remain anonymous, told CRN that he would have to pay $2,000 (£1,265) per annum to access Sun and Oracle’s portfolios.

“It is difficult to justify that expenditure, based on our experience of dealing with Sun since the Oracle deal and the fact that we do not plan to start reselling Oracle’s products,” he said.

Another Associate partner said his firm was unlikely to continue reselling Sun.
“A lot of staff have left Sun over the past year and service has suffered badly,” he said. “As a result, we no longer promote its products and are simply maintaining the relationship for the sake of our existing clients.”

Sun’s OEM partnership with storage vendor LSI has been under scrutiny since a similar agreement Sun had with Hitachi Data Systems was axed by Oracle in March.

Rod Evans, managing director for Northern Europe at LSI OEM partner SGI, said the uncertainty had generated a lot of interest for its products among Sun partners.

“There are lots of storage vendors looking at that channel now as a potential source of new partners,” he said.

However, Paul Young, business unit director for Oracle-Sun at distributor Avnet, said partners that decide to stay would reap the rewards.

He said: “We are working closely with Oracle as it refines its channel strategy and we are confident that there is significant long-term opportunity for partners.”

Oracle did not comment.