Ipswitch grows its channel

Internet productivity software vendor looking to recruit resellers across EMEA

Internet productivity software vendor Ipswitch has revamped its channel strategy and is looking to recruit resellers across EMEA.

The firm is looking to triple the number of its top-level partners by the end of next year, said Allan Poot, European regional sales director at Ipswitch.

"We are not looking for masses of partners because we don't want our resellers to be competing with each other too much," he said.

He added that the programme has been tailor-made for Europe, rather than adapted from its US strategy. "We want to make it as easy as possible for our European resellers to use and sell our products and solutions," he said.

Under the new programme, resellers will fall into three main levels: Authorised, Silver and Gold. Resellers in the first tier are entitled to discounts on products purchased through distributors, sales leads and sales and technical support.

Silver Partners will receive increased discounts, sales leads, pre- and post-sales support, and advanced technical training. To qualify for Silver status, resellers must generate a minimum of €1,000 of business a month.

Gold Partners will get more discounted products, regular sales leads and preferred listing on the Ipswitch website, as well as priority technical support and pre- and post-sales support. To qualify for Gold status, partners much generate a minimum of €2,500 a month.

Poot said the programme has been welcomed by Ipswitch's distribution partners because the unified pricing eliminates the need for resellers to shop around when making cross-border sales.

"We are very confident about the response from the channel," Poot added.

Carly Stevenson, Ipswitch product manager at distributor Unipalm, said: "Ipswitch is showing that it understands there is a difference between the US and European markets. European channel partners are after different things, such as training and giving good value-add to their customers."