AppSense scraps local partner programmes
New global channel programme in place in a bid to make it simpler to work with the vendor
AppSense has done away with its numerous geography-specific partner programmes in favour of a standardised global replacement.
The application-management firm, which does more than 90 per cent of its global business through the channel, used to have individual partner programmes for northern Europe, the DACH region, Asia-Pacific and the US. A new global scheme has now replaced each separate version.
This was done to make it simpler to work with the vendor, according to chief technologist Simon Townsend.
"From a management point of view, it means everyone is on the same page," he told CRN. "It is about just trying to simplify how to work with AppSense. From a technology point of view, we have put a load of work in over the past three years around simplification of the product. If you're going to simplify how to use and install the product, you should simplify how people are going to work with us too. It really comes down to that. And it gives a clear definition of which partners have invested with us."
The new programme introduces deal registration and deal protection for the first time, as well as a new array of tiers: top-level Platinum, Gold Plus, Gold and Silver.
Gold Plus is a new tier designed for Gold partners that are workng on moving up to Platinum, while Gold remains in place for those satisfying the same criteria as Gold Plus, but who do not want to progress up the ranks.
Across EMEA, AppSense has nine Platinum partners - three of which are in the UK - and 20 Gold Plus partners, which want to break into the top tier.
"Coupled with the partner programme, behind all that is a lot of investment from a marketing point of view," said Townsend. "The new programme introduces levels of MDF we have never seen in EMEA before. That means our marketing teams can work quite nicely with our VARs' marketing teams as well to reinvest into our partner marketing activity.
"From an educational point of view, we have introduced new courses, new levels of certification and the ability to have new online labs. We've also got an online learning-management platform - it is all about enablement."