Dell EMC programme revamp: what partners need to know
Dell EMC claims its partner programme tweaks will make it easier to do business with
"Simple, predictable and profitable," Dell's channel mantra was brought out again by senior execs during its broadcast of the vendor's updated partner programme 2019.
Dell EMC channel chief Joyce Mullen was particularly evangelical touting 2018's numbers: $49bn (£37.7bn) in sales through the channel, up $6bn.
With Dell claiming it is number one in storage (at 31 per cent market share it surpassed HP last year), hyperconverged and virtualisation, Mullen announced that the vendor's short-term channel sales goal is to reach $70bn.
To enable this Mullen highlighted the three priorities for the year:
- Make it easier for partners to grow their businesses with Dell
- Bring together solutions from across Dell's family of brands
- Accelerate the embrace and monetisation of new technologies (Mullen highlighted 5G specifically.)
Here are the tweaks that have been made:
Training
In keeping with her message of "it's all about simplification", Mullen claims Dell's certification requirements for partners have been made less complex.
Certification skill in one of Dell's brands is now recognised across all the others - Dell, Dell EMC, VMware, Virtustream, RSA, Secureworks and Pivotal.
"If you take training around VMware capabilities, you don't have to take it again to satisfy the Dell EMC programme," Mullen said.
In the solution provider track, the number of training competencies has also been streamlined. Partners need just one for Gold, two for Platinum and three for Titanium.
A new data analytics competency has also been introduced.
Rebates
Mullen laid on the praise for partners pretty thick.
"We know that you are at the core of our success…Customers are looking for trusted advisers and that's why they're coming to you," she said.
She said that in recognition of the new business that partners drive, getting rebates from Dell will also be made easier.
Mullen conceded that the rebate update was in response to feedback from partners.
"We have big ears here at Dell. We're constantly listening to you."
And here's what won't change:
Individual partner programmes
Each of the Dell Technologies businesses will continue to have its own individual partner programme.
Mullen claimed that this will avoid confusion within the market.
Secureworks is currently building its partner programme details and will be announced later this year.
Although no major changes were made, Dell's president of global sales, Bill Scannell, claimed that since Dell's partner preferred programme was launched in the second half of last year, it has made the vendor "the safe bet in the industry".
"We're going to continue to win big with our partners," he said.
"Our sales are going to jump to the next level in 2019."