Autodesk hands VARs keys to entire portfolio

CAD vendor says partner programme overhaul will give end customers more choice

Autodesk used its 2011 Channel Summit to announce the creation of a new global channel sales organisation and partner programme revamp.

Speaking to CRN in San Francisco, Roland Zelles, vice president of worldwide channels, said the new global unit would reflect the "visibility and importance" of the CAD vendor's 1,900 VARs.

"What it means for partners is we are much better able to export best practice and have a very consistent approach," Zelles said.

At the same time, the $2bn-revenue vendor is making the biggest overhaul to its channel programme in three years as it relaxes the strict rules that govern which parts of its portfolio partners can sell.

With Alcatraz looming in the background, it was an appropriate stage for Autodesk to announce that top partners will now be granted freedom to sell its entire range. Previously, there were five authorisations, including ones relating to its three key vertical markets of media and entertainment, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and manufacturing.

Zelles said it was about moving from a programme based around partner management to a more customer-centric approach.

"We are putting customer choice into the centre stage so customers have easy access to the partner of their choice," he said.

With some 90 per cent of Autodesk's business travelling through the channel, Zelles said the channel "is in our DNA". The vendor draws nearly 40 per cent of its revenues from Europe, where it has 900 VARs.

With the five authorisations disappearing, Autodesk is introducing a range of specialisations that will act as an indicator of partners' vertical knowledge. These will count towards their status as Gold, Silver and Bronze partners, while a new top-level Platinum tier will be introduced in the second half of 2011. The first specialism, relating to consulting, has already been launched, with further speicalisms relating to MEP systems, factory planning and plant engineering likely to be added.

Autodesk's metal-based tiering structure is currently based on sales volumes, with revenue gates typically ranging from $100,000 to $5m depending on the country.

However, Platinum status will also be based on customer satisfaction data, Zelles revealed.