EMC Transforms Velocity Channel Partner Program

EMC Corporation announced enhancements to its Velocity Solution Provider partner program that will make the company’s cloud computing and big data technologies and solutions available to more customers – particularly in the growing mid-market segment.

With a continued emphasis on ensuring that Velocity Partners are well prepared to sell and/or service products and solutions, customers can work with competent solution providers to support their business requirements.

The following program changes are effective:

New Target Products Rebate
for Premier and Signature Partners
Provides top Velocity partners (1) with a predictable income stream via rebates paid on sales of targeted EMC technologies that align to the company’s key mid-market initiatives. Eligible products include VNX and VNXe unified storage, Avamar and Data Domain backup and recovery solutions, and server Flash caching solution VFCache.  This rebate is paid from the first sale and is in addition to – and can be combined with – EMC’s existing performance-based Specialty (2) rebate.

Changes to Velocity Specialty Requirements
Focus on Fortifying Selling Capabilities

• The program no longer requires partners to earn an implementation certification to achieve a Specialty (2). While EMC encourages partners to become services-enabled, removing this requirement from the reseller program now allows pure-play resellers a more direct path to achieving Velocity Specialties, where benefit opportunities accelerate. For partners who include services in their business model, EMC has strengthened its Velocity Services offerings (details below).
• There is no longer a revenue requirement for partners to achieve a Specialty.
• Three Specialties are now required for Signature (top tier) partners worldwide, reflecting the most advanced level of competency required of the top tier partners in positioning and selling a range of EMC’s technologies.

Isilon Partner Program Integrated into Velocity Program
Former Isilon partners can now become eligible for Velocity benefits on other EMC products, and existing EMC resellers can become eligible to earn benefits from selling Isilon – all within the integrated Velocity program.

More Products Eligible for Financial Benefits
in Velocity Specialties
To help partners align their portfolio with the growing demand for cloud and big data solutions, the following products are now eligible for financial benefits within the Backup and Recovery Specialty: Mozy cloud backup, Atmos object-based cloud storage platform, and Centera content addressable storage. Isilon scale-out NAS platform is also now eligible for benefits within the Consolidate Specialty.

Amplified Demand Generation
More Market Development Funds (MDF)3, More Qualified Leads – EMC is doubling its investment in demand generation funds, programs, and resources to develop highly qualified opportunities for partners and accelerate revenue growth.

Velocity Services Invests in Enhanced Tools,
Offerings, and Resources
to Accelerate Services Enablement with Partners:

• Expanded library of online and video-instructor-led services training provides a more convenient way for partners to access EMC Proven Professional technical training.
• New online labs allow partners to more efficiently hone practical implementation skills on technology in a proctored virtual environment.
• New offering in the EMC Cooperative Services portfolio provides partners guidance on their solution design, as well as post-implementation review. As with all Cooperative Service offerings, the partner maintains control of the customer relationship, and has the depth of EMC expertise in the background to ensure quality implementations.

Gregg Pruett, SVP, CompuNet, Inc., said: "With the high level of flexibility and range of options EMC is providing us through the new Velocity Program, our customers will have even more access to EMC’s broad portfolio of innovative products and services. There’s a massive market opportunity and the enhancements EMC announced today provide us with more choices to resell and deliver services – enabling us to better focus on the growing demand for services as the market expands for cloud, big data, and Trusted IT environments."

Gary Alexander, CEO, Alexander Open Systems (AOS), said: "Organizations’ data continues to grow and they need help managing it – which is where AOS can show our value. Whether it’s through product implementation or support or services, the EMC Velocity Partner Program provides tools and resources to ensure we are well equipped to be our customer’s trusted advisor. Also, we’re pleased with EMC’s movement to place more focus on their partners and by having its direct sales force work through the partners and not around them. Furthermore, AOS supports EMC’s commitment to the SMB market as this is a core focus for us."

Fred Kohout, VP, global channel marketing, EMC, said: "EMC’s continued objective is to accelerate the customer journey to cloud computing, grapple with big data, and help IT departments’ store, manage, protect, and analyze their most valuable asset – information. The changes we’ve made to the Velocity Solution Provider program are focused on helping partners optimize their offerings in these key areas so they can best support customer requirements. We want our partners to have a simple, predictable, and profitable experience with EMC. Over half our storage revenue goes through our channel partners, and our focus is on making these partners more productive. This is proof that organizations are increasingly relying on EMC Velocity Partners to help them transform their business and increase their competitive advantage in their respective markets."

(1) The Velocity Solution Provider Program features four tiers (Affiliate, Affiliate Elite, Premier, and Signature) that offer increasing financial benefits and rewards as Partners complete specific training and other requirements, and move up through the tiers.

(2) Velocity Specialty designations recognize partners who achieve superior competencies to architect and sell complete end-to-end solutions through EMC’s advanced sales and technical training and certifications. Each Specialty is focused on a product category: Backup & Recovery Specialty (Information Protection), Consolidate Specialty (Unified Storage), and Advanced Consolidate Specialty (Enterprise Storage).

(3) MDF Program is designed to accelerate the development of leads for Velocity Partners through the submission of MDF proposals focused on demand generation. MDF funds are awarded based on the execution of a marketing plan agreed to between the Partner and EMC.