CA gives channel a wake-up call

Vendor aims to shake up storage channel by offering partners up to 37 per cent discount

Famularo: vendors need to be more consistent

CA’s Recovery Management and Data Modelling business unit is keen to lure resellers from its competitors with an aggressive displacement programme.

The ‘Wake up to Backup’ programme, centered around CA’s ARCserve and XOsoft offerings, gives resellers the chance to recoup up to 37 per cent discounts on deals, said Adam Famularo, senior vice president of the unit.

Resellers that secure replacement deals can earn up to 25 per cent
discount on top of the usual 10 per cent, which CA claims is three times more profitable than its competitors. Also, new product sales can net resellers an extra 16 per cent discount, which CA claims is twice as profitable as the competition.

“Our products are sold entirely through the channel,” he said. “Our sweet spot today is the SME market, but with the latest release ­ ARCserve and XOsoft 12.5 ­ we have added Unix and Linux capabilities, and we want to start targeting larger
companies.”

“Vendors need to be more consistent. Most launch a programme that runs for three months and then expires. This programme will run for 15 months, until 31 March 2010,” he said.

Finally, as long as a deal is closed, whether it is won or lost, resellers will qualify for a 12 per cent rebate, Famularo said, adding that resellers switching vendors to CA will be ‘grandfathered’ into the programme at the same level of expertise.

“We hope more new resellers will take advantage of this,” he said.

Ruth Schofield, alliances development manager at CA partner SBL, welcomed the programme.

“The competitive displacement campaign enhancement ensures that we can confidently and profitably assist our customers in the impartial evaluation of storage and data management solutions,” she said.