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Cloud Consultancy and the Channel: Vendor Programs Critical to Growth
SAN JOSE, CA, Nov 06, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
New research from Brocade(R) (NASDAQ: BRCD) indicates that many
channel organizations are being impeded in their efforts to move
toward cloud-based professional services due to a lack of flexibility
and capability by their vendors. The study revealed that in addition
to direct competition, channel organization's professional services
ambitions are being restricted by a lack of innovative vendor
solutions, overly complex programs and proprietary vendor
technologies.
Based on a survey of over 500 channel organizations worldwide, the
report revealed that almost half of respondents expect professional
services to become their main revenue generator by 2020. Yet, for the
majority of respondents, professional services accounts for 25
percent or less of revenues today.
The research also revealed the growing customer demand for
professional services, with complexity and constraints on CapEx
reported as the biggest customer challenges. Only 11 percent of
respondents currently look to their vendors for innovative finance
solutions and 19 percent for marketing funding -- key when trying to
build a brand and reputation rather than sell on price.
"Revenue focused channel programs like our Brocade Alliance Partner
Network, combined with differentiated technology solutions that help
address customers' needs for innovative and easy to deploy networks,
flexible financing solutions such as Brocade Network Subscription,
and tools and resources that help channel develop their reputation as
consultants, will all become increasingly critical to developing
competitive consultancy businesses that drive significant revenue
returns," noted Regan McGrath, Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales
at Brocade.
He contends that to compete in the professional services sector,
channel organizations now need to consider these critical questions:
-- Do my vendors' strategies, vision, and approaches to technology design
support or impede our ability to maximize any professional services
and support revenue opportunities
-- Do my vendors compete with me for professional services opportunities
-- Do my vendors provide value through genuine technology
differentiation
-- Do my vendors provide finance solutions that address customers CapEX
investment restrictions
-- Do my vendors provide marketing enablement, access to expertise and
tools that help me build my brand
"This research reinforces the importance of flexible and accessible
vendor programs in the channel's evolution towards successful
professional services delivery," said Chuck Bartlett, vice president
and general manager, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) at Tech
Data. "Suppliers like Brocade, which was recently named Tech Data's
Growth Vendor Partner of the Year, will continue to play a key role
in this evolution, while innovative programs focused on partner
enablement will be central to driving revenue and securing market
position."
The Brocade Alliance Partner Network (APN) Program is designed to
deliver "success through simplicity" by taking a modular approach to
partner enablement and offering a broad range of tools, assets and
solutions that are easily accessible, usable, and targeted at
accelerating partner revenue growth from the moment they join the
program. Designed to help partners build business models that realize
revenue opportunities from professional services and cloud hosted
services among current customers, while growing net new business
opportunities, the Program enables partners to extend their reach
through almost effortless marketing and technology enablement
solutions.
Brocade APN Partners can also secure significant levels of
differentiation by offering Brocade Network Subscription, first and
only "pay by port" subscription solution. Brocade Network
Subscription offers customers cost management and fast flexibility to
scale up and down to meet business demand, while only paying for the
ports in use. Brocade partners can close a deal that may have
otherwise been lost due to CapEx constraints, while offering their
customers a clear and manageable path towards their ultimate goals,
and securing incremental revenue on an on-going basis.
Brocade Alliance Partner Network has three levels of membership
(Select, Premier and Elite), plus a distribution category, and offers
partners qualified leads, sales support and technical education in
addition to a range of self-service marketing tools, enablement
portals, and training and education programs to help partners develop
and tailor their business models to their needs.
For more information about the Brocade Alliance Partner Network
please see: www.brocade.com/apn or
community.brocade.com/community/brocadeblogs/thechannel
To download the report please see:
http://community.brocade.com/community/brocadeblogs/thechannel/blog/2012/11/06/survey-reveals-channel-vision-for-2020
Notes
The Brocade Channel 2020: Global Survey (2012) was conducted
during June and July 2012, using an online survey service
(surveymonkey.com). The survey had 532 respondents worldwide, and
respondents from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Australasia, Central Asia and
India, Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Middle East,
North America and South America. The organizations that participated
ranged in size from those with 0-50 employees up to those with over
1000 staff. Channel respondents came from a wide range of
organizational types, including SVARs, service providers, VARs,
distribution, and hosted services resellers.
About Brocade
Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) is the pure-play networking
company that innovates to make high-performance networks easier to
deploy, manage, and scale in the most demanding environments.
(www.brocade.com)
Copyright 2012 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
ADX, Brocade, Brocade Assurance, Brocade One, the B-wing symbol, DCX,
Fabric OS, ICX, MLX, MyBrocade, SAN Health, VCS, and VDX are
registered trademarks, and AnyIO, HyperEdge, NET Health, OpenScript,
and The Effortless Network are trademarks of Brocade Communications
Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. Other
brands, products, or service names mentioned may be trademarks of
their respective owners.
BROCADE CONTACTS:
Channel PR & AR
Dawn Morris
Tel: +44 (0) 208 432 5234
Email: dawn.morris@brocade.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dawnemorris
SOURCE: Brocade
mailto:dawn.morris@brocade.com
http://www.twitter.com/dawnemorris
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