Citrix unveils Elite partner status
Virtualisation specialist plans to roll out Elite sales training to wider channel next year
Carsten Thomsen: Partners picked on performance
Citrix claims its decision to give 150 partners from across EMEA preferential help and support in closing desktop virtualisation deals is already yielding results.
The vendor launched its Elite Partner Programme six months ago by picking VARs from 21 countries in the region for additional technical and sales training.
Elite partners are also given the opportunity to work in tandem with Citrix’s own staff to help close new deals.
Carsten Thomsen, vice president for channel sales and strategy at Citrix, said candidate selection had been based on a mix of revenue size and growth potential.
“It is not just Platinum partners; candidates have been selected from all levels of our partner programme based on how they have performed in the field,” he said.
Since its launch, Thomsen says the vendor has seen the productivity of partners involved spike by a fifth, as well as a “sizeable increase” in deal size.
To capitalise on this success, the training aspect of the scheme is to be rolled out across the rest of Citrix’s partner network from January. Thomsen also hinted that the number of Elite partners could rise.
“There is a tremendous market opportunity for desktop virtualisation, but we did not feel our partners were adequately equipped to make the most of it,” he said.
“At the moment, we are happy with the 150 partners we have. We might add more, but their selection will be carefully controlled.”
Martin Lulham, managing director of Citrix Silver Solutions Advisor M-Tech Systems, welcomed its decision to open Elite’s services to more of the channel.
“This is great news,” he said. “But Citrix has always been very proactive with partner support. We are supposed to be distie led, but it has an unofficial open door and is happy to deal direct with us.”