Iomega wants more VARs to join its Ioclub
Partner programme is designed to provide better support and increase sales, vendor claims
Data storage vendor Iomega has revamped its channel partner programme, and claimed it is now designed to increase sales and provide VARs with better support.
The Ioclub programme was originally launched four years ago as a loyalty programme with a points system. However, Ioclub will now provide online marketing, sales and technical support to about 900 UK resellers.
Frederic Portella, senior channel marketing manager EMEA at Iomega, told CRN the revamp of Ioclub marked its renewed investment in channel partners.
“This will help increase business with the SME partners,” he said. “We are bringing partners something different and which we hope will prove to be a beneficial support for them.”
To help partners generate business leads, Ioclub also provides VARs with a customisable marketing tool to help personalise marketing materials, such as web banners and product literature.
Stewart Hayward, commercial director at online reseller WStore, told CRN that all the supportive vendors have such tools for their partners.
“This is something that we would use, but the key is that it needs to be kept up to date,” he said. “We would probably use it most around the times of Iomega’s new product releases.”
Paul Barlow, group sales director at PC World Business, told CRN: “It sounds like Ioclub will offer additional re-investment for the channel. These portals actually cost quite a lot for vendors to maintain. Hopefully it will help add to Iomega’s established channel presence.”
Last year, Iomega signed an OEM agreement with software giant Computer Associates to deliver an all-in-one backup, recovery, archiving, data protection and anti-virus product to the SME market (CRN, 21 March 2005).
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