Avaya has announced a new streamlined channel programme that gives partners the flexibility to meet their customers’ needs in today’s fast-paced digital marketplace, while providing greater rewards for those partners that deliver exceptional value.
The new programme, Avaya Edge, will help drive mutual profitability and better equip partners with the skills needed to help customers achieve their digital transformation objectives.
Key elements of the programme include:
* Simplified structure: Streamlined requirements and new gem designation levels – Diamond, Sapphire and Emerald – reduce complexity and the resources needed for partners to manage the program. For example, the Avaya Edge reduces the amount of time partners previously required to complete credentials by up to 50%, and partner co-delivery performance metrics have been reduced 56%.
* Greater benefits: Partners are now compensated for a broader scope of revenue, including not only hardware/product sales as well as recurring services and software. In addition, new incentives will reward partners for strategic areas of achievement, such as customer value, growth and new product adoption.
* Flexibility: The new program is better structured to accommodate and adapt to ever-changing industry, customer and partner dynamics. The introduction of five partner tracks aligns with their go-to-market model, and maps partner revenue targets and rewards based on track and geographic region.
The new programme is in effect as of 1 October 2016. To support the transition, existing authorized partners are evaluated under both the previous and new programs and awarded at the higher level for the first six months.
“The strength of a channel program is the degree to which it enables the success of its partners, and recognises and applauds their unique capabilities as they apply them to serve our customers,” says Fadi Moubarak, channel leader at Avaya International.
“In response to the feedback provided by our partners and customers, we are introducing the Avaya Edge program to provide the flexibility required in the market today, within a supportive structure. This new program empowers our channel partners to take our innovative solutions into the marketplace and help our customers achieve their digital business goals.”
Tim Banting, principal analyst: collaboration and communications at Current Analysis, comments: “The communications industry has moved towards a software-based approach and away from bespoke PBXs. Vendors that utilize channels as a primary route to market need to focus on helping their partners to reinvent themselves to meet their customers’ needs.
“Avaya’s new Edge program is an example of a vendor that is re-orienting its partners by monitoring how the industry is transforming, responding to customer feedback, and evolving their programs accordingly. Consequently, this approach enhances Avaya’s partners’ ability to compete and differentiate in the marketplace.”