Vizioncore wants VARs for partner programme

Vendor wants to recruit and promote partners that are focused on virtualisation

Virtualisation software vendor Vizioncore has revamped its global partner programme to help its partners capitalise on a rapidly growing market.

The firm, which supplies software for VMware Infrastructure 3, is still looking to recruit more partners in the UK, but it is planning to divide its partners into three separate tiers: Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Speaking to CRN, Colin Wright, regional director at Vizioncore, said: “Since our inception we have recruited a lot of partners, but now we need to promote the partners that are focused on virtualisation.

“We have made these changes in response to what the channel has asked for. Partners want to be promoted as specialists, they don’t want to be categorised together. We have recognised this.”

He added that the type of partners Vizioncore is looking to recruit include general storage VARs that are keen to get involved in virtualisation and resellers that already specialise in virtualisation.

Jane Rimmer, marketing director at Vizioncore, said: “We ask our Platinum partners to attend sales and technical training, and also for them to complete a variety of video and web-based training. We have already identified about seven potential Platinum partners in the UK.”

She added that the firm has a partner portal in place, which offers sales and marketing collateral, as well as deal-registration facilities for top-level partners.

Wright said Vizioncore expects to have all of its partners segmented into the appropriate tier within the next eight weeks.

Julian Box, managing director of VAR VirtualizeIT, welcomed the programme revamp.

“As vendors build up their partner programmes and have more resellers out there selling products, it is important for customers to be able to go to a vendor’s web site and distinguish the level of expertise that they need,” he said.

“We get this feedback from our clients a lot. So from our point of view it is essential to be able to demonstrate to our clients that we are a higher-level partner.”

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