Dell EMC launches new enterprise programme with 'more aggressive' margins

Global channel boss Joyce Mullen claims partners wanted 'more predictability'

Dell EMC has responded to partner pleas for greater predictability and simplicity in their dealings with the vendor with the launch of a new enterprise channel program.

Writing in a blog, Dell EMC's president of global channels, OEM & IoT, Joyce Mullen said partners asked for "more predictability in engagements; more front-end margins so their sellers can retire quota more quickly; and more speed and simplicity around quotes and deal registration".

"We took this feedback to heart and are empowering Dell EMC partners to attack the market," the channel chief said.

She said the Enterprise Preferred Channel Program leverages "joint sales and partner planning to drive one joint approach to market, simplifying our sales engagement and being prescriptive about how our sales teams and partners should work together".

The new program will include dedicated channel team members to support sales engagement in Enterprise Preferred accounts, as well as collaboration on joint account plans. This, said Mullen, "provides clarity to everyone involved, helps us focus our efforts in the right places, and creates a smooth, positive experience for the customer".

Dell EMC said it is offering "more aggressive front-end margins" and greater compensation for its sales teams to protect their commission on these accounts and encourage them to work closely with partners.

Mullen also said partners would receive more formal protection through "an earned partner of record model, available in certain whitespace accounts within the Enterprise Preferred segment for either storage or across our infrastructure solutions (ISG) lines of business (storage, server, and networking)".

"For our partners who earn partner of record status for all of ISG, this means they will truly own the datacenter in that account," she added.

Mullen also noted that the firm is exploring the possibility of adopting the same approach with its commercial segment later this year.

Analyst firm Techaisle's channel survey data shows that Dell partners now have more faith in the company than four years ago. Sixty-one percent of partners questioned say they trust Dell, up from 43 percent in 2014, an increase of 42 percent.

It notes that Dell Technologies' channel revenue is $43 billion, just over 50 percent of Dell's overall revenue.