Cartesis targets VARs with discount offers
Business performance vendor throws down gauntlet to more established rivals
Business performance management (BPM) vendor Cartesis has thrown down the gauntlet to more established rivals by offering resellers discounts of up to 60 per cent as part of its first partner programme.
Crispin Read, chief marketing officer at the France-based firm, admitted the move was “deliberately provocative”, and said he would be happy to talk to partners of rival vendors Hyperion or Business Objects.
“We have decided to sign resellers because, although we are growing quickly outside France, the size of the market opportunity means we need more feet on the ground,” he said.
The new programme offers 55 per cent off list-prices and five per cent in a co-marketing fund.
“VARs that partner with a software vendor typically get a discount of 25 to 30 per cent,” Read said.
Despite contracts with a growing list of UK firms – including IBM and Avesco – privately-held Cartesis draws less than a fifth of its $120m annual sales from the UK market.
“We are still a relatively small player in a large market,” Read said. “For example, Hyperion has more than $700m worldwide. But we grew by 44 per cent in 2005, and by working through partners we could grow even more quickly.”
Top of Cartesis’s hit-list are VARs that deal with chief financial officers and financial executives, with experience in the BPM or adjacent sectors, such as business intelligence. The vendor hopes to have 12 resellers on board within six months.
Gareth Horton, product manager at business intelligence vendor Datawatch, warned that resellers already selling established BPM brands would be reluctant to jump ship.
“If resellers work with Business Objects or Hyperion and are highly skilled in these technologies, then re-skilling will be expensive for them,” he said. “These VARs will be reluctant to leave their comfort zone.”