EMC partners feel the channel love with programme update

Resellers impressed with vendor's Velocity changes which were announced yesterday

EMC partners have given their seal of approval to the changes to the firm's Velocity partner programme which were announced yesterday, claiming that the vendor's new channel focus is a vast improvement.

Yesterday, EMC announced it was axing the revenue requirements to gain a Specialty and increasing rebates on some products which sold for less than $100,000 (£64,000). These were among a wave of changes to its channel programme.

Last year, it announced that all its business would go through the channel outside of a "hard deck" of 150 direct accounts – a move it has now completed.

Bill McGloin, Computacenter's practice lead for storage and data optimisation, said EMC's new channel approach is impressive.

"We are very positive about [the changes], we are feeling the love from EMC at the moment. The way they are de-staking direct accounts is good for channel and [is an] incentive for us too. These are major changes."

He added that as the firm is already a top-tier partner, the new incentives to increase partner productivity are not really relevant and could create competition for Computacenter.

"It is fair to say that we do four to five times more than the requirement [to become a Signature partner] anyway because of our size and because EMC is a major vendor for us; we already invest in training and staff already too," he said.

"There will be some competition [from resellers gaining higher status with EMC], but we are not scared and are up for the fight."

EMC partner 101 Data Solutions is aiming to earn promotion from Affiliate Elite status to Premier (second-highest), and its owner Brett Edgecombe claimed the changes are a big turnaround.

He said: "EMC are miles away from where they were a few years ago; there has been a significant change. We are impressed. It is simple and predictable and we need that; the pricing before was a challenge.

"The 1.5 per cent rebate for Premier partners is a big incentive but also helps us to differentiate ourselves."

Gary Alexander, chief executive of reseller AOS, also welcomed the changes.

"The [programme] provides tools and resources to ensure we are well equipped to be our customers' trusted adviser. Also, we are pleased with EMC's movement to place more focus on their partners and by having its direct salesforce work through the partners and not around them," he said.

EMC's EMEA channel boss Phillipe Fosse said 59 per cent of the region's business is conducted through the channel, up from 55 per cent the year before. He also claimed that the channel business was growing twice as fast as other areas of the business.