Jeremie Francois, Synology UK Ltd
Sales Director name, bio and background:
Jeremie Francois is Sales Director at Synology UK Ltd.
Jeremie Francois studied Industrial Engineering in France and joined Synology HQ in Taipei in 2012. He moved to Synology UK’s Sales team in 2016, managing value-added distributors, and has led the UK and Nordics Sales team since 2019, focusing on SI and B2B reseller channels. Now as Sales Director, Jeremie oversees Commercial, Solutions, and Customer Support teams, driving Synology’s enterprise and public sector strategy.
Why do you think awards like the Channel Awards matter? What would winning this award mean to your company?
At Synology, our success in the UK depends entirely on our reseller partners; without them, we simply wouldn’t exist. Winning this award would reinforce our dedication to the channel and highlight our ongoing investment in our partner programme. It would affirm our expertise and drive to continue as a leading NAS brand.
Awards like the Channel Awards provide an industry benchmark, celebrating top performers and setting standards that elevate the whole channel. Winning would enhance our reputation, strengthen partnerships, and recognise the quality Synology brings to the market.
What would you say is your company’s proudest achievement over the past year?
Our proudest achievement this year is overhauling our partner programme, empowering partners of all sizes to compete fairly for every project. Whether they’re small system integrators or large VARs, every partner has the same chance to succeed based on quality.
Despite challenges in the IT sector, our channel partners achieved double-digit growth, expanding our market share. This reflects the effectiveness of our updated partner programme, fostering impressive growth and success, especially for key partners like Bechtle Group and CDW.
What have been the biggest challenges of 2024 so far and how have you overcome them? How have your people helped with that?
This year’s economic uncertainty has created budget pressures across many sectors. Synology has been well-positioned to support businesses facing these challenges by offering solutions that match the quality of tier-1 brands at a more competitive price, enabling organisations to maintain high standards cost-effectively.
Our response to these constraints included a focus on affordable storage, data protection, and surveillance solutions. With expanded teams in the UK and Europe, we’re equipping our channel partners with the tools and resources to offer these value-driven alternatives.
How do you think the channel has changed over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?
The channel has become more budget-focused, with a shift towards long-term value over initial costs. Customers now evaluate what a solution offers over three to five years, instead of just the upfront price.
With fewer large enterprise projects this year, the SMB market faces increased pressure, impacting gross margins across the channel. To adjust, resellers can embrace value-added services, such as technical support and consulting, which diversify revenue beyond hardware and software sales.
What do you see as the main opportunities for the channel in the coming year? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?
In the coming year, we see significant opportunities for the channel with the launch of enterprise solutions that offer top capabilities at a more affordable cost. This allows partners to deliver robust solutions without high expenses, appealing to a wider range of customers.
To support this, we’ll equip our partners with essential resources, training, and co-marketing efforts to effectively market these solutions. By working closely with our partners, we aim to enhance their competitiveness and drive mutual growth.
The CRN Channel Awards take place in London on 14th November. Click here to view the shortlist, and here to secure your place.