By Sharmee Roy
Extreme Networks, which recently launched its partner program in India, is seeking to build its channel network. It will be looking at nine major cities, including the metros. Said Jitendra Gupta, Extreme’s Country Manager for India and Saarc, “The partner program will help us identify potential partners and build a channel ecosystem. We intend to rope in 30 partners who will be mid-to-large systems integrators.”
The company focuses on verticals such as hospitality, education, healthcare and government, and will appoint partners who are specifically focused on these verticals. Besides, it also intends to sign up a national distributor to complete its channel ecosystem. “We want to bring in a value added distributor rather than a volume distributor. The distributor will be our extended arm, help us extend our reach into new geographies, and assist our partners with pre-sales activities,” informed Gupta.
The company has already signed up 15 partners under the partner program, and expects the process of appointing partners as well as the national distributor to be completed by mid-June.
Under the program, the company will classify its partners in four categories: diamond, platinum, gold and silver. Based on the revenue commitment, pre-sales and sales skill-sets, and service capability, the partners will be classified in one of these categories.
Elaborated Gupta: “Silver partners do not have any major revenue commitment, but will need to have one trained pre-sales person. Gold partners will be investing in two pre-sales and post-sales people, along with a revenue commitment of half a million dollars per year. Platinum partners will commit a one million dollar revenue per year, with three pre-sales and post-sales staff, along with service capability.”
Currently, the vendor intends to appoint 70 percent of its partners in the silver category, and train and groom them over a period of six months. |