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Vendors Offer Online Services for CPs
By
Pallabika Ganguly
Mumbai, Aug 20, 2008 1751 hrs IST
Vendors are now moving beyond just online registration to make the work easier and faster for the channel partners. They are now giving opportunities to the partners to explore the online media. A year back, Intel joined google for facilitating online advertising for the channel partners (CPs). Besides the online advertisement for CPs, it is also turning a channel incentives (CI) programme - 'Sellebrations', completely online.
AMD, is another company which is trying to educate its CPs through online programmes. The company has started a locally designed website - AMDconnect.com for updating the channel partners on technical aspects. The chip maker is presently conducting the System Builders Yatra where it is making the channel partners aware of this new initiative.
"We have more than1500 registered partners after conducting more than 36 Yatras. This is the easiest and most comfortable way to stay connected with our partners. Even we get a back up of the official records of the partners through this website," says Sandip Naik,
AMD also has a technical update program called AMMO weekly, in which the company keeps on updating its partners about the new technologies. Even it has a magazine called 'Chip in' for informing and educating the partners. Channel partners from remote places like, Mandya, Hugli, Jammu and Kashmir are also parts of this website.
Sandeep Mahajan, a CP of AMD from Jalgaon says, "I regularly log on to the website to know the technical updates. The online programme has made my work easy, and it is informative too. It is the easiest way to communicate with the vendor."
Driven by the principle that communication should not be a barrier, Intel has now reached partners at Gwalior, Raipur and Chhattisgarh through its online programmes.
A year back, as discussed earlier, Intel had tied up with Google to help its partners get readymade templates online. For specific desktops and laptops, Intel made templates for CPs, which could be modified up to 70% according to the CPs schemes. Later, the partners could use them for online advertising, local mailers and as local print banners.
Adding more to it, Intel added a URL - media store - on its website. The URL incorporated all Intel's merchandise, offering partners with the ease of order placing. It followed a simple log-on process followed by the booking and dispatching of orders. It is a one-stop shop for merchandise, media store etc.
Now, the company is working on three new online programmes. It includes the creation of websites for individual CPs. They are going to make the first two pages of the website and educate the CPs on its expansion. In the next phase, all the partners' services will be customized so that every individual can do business from his/her own website. The other online initiatives that Intel has newly come up with are as follows:
The 'Sellebrations' Programme. It is a channel incentive program, which is now completely online. It encourages channel partners to use the online medium to interact with Intel on program details, processes, claims and so on. All the partners' schemes, promotional offers and the after scheme processes (i.e. claiming for the rewards) is online.
Also, the Demand Generation programmes, which are focused on consumers, have the element of online registrations. In this case, the channel partners are encouraged to get their customers registered online (a specific URL for the program gets created) to avail of various Lucky Draw offers and other schemes.
The "Where to Buy" section of Intel's website is under way that will enable consumers to find their nearest PC dealers. Thus, it will enhance and enable easy purchase of PCs through the Web.
The IRAP (Intel Retail Advantage Program) is another CP-focused website that helps in online training. It also has contents designed specifically for Retail Salespersons. This site offers Lucky Draws and allows for creation of online profiles for channel salespersons. The IRAP is updated quarterly.
"I feel, Intel is the first company to come up with online initiative for channel partners. I have used the templates available online for advertisements, and I feel it was an innovative way of reaching to the end users," says Saket Kapur, a premier partner for Intel.
In this fast moving world, even the vendors are trying to make the CPs familiarize with the new technologies available. Internet is always the fastest and the easiest way to communicate. The online programmes have made the work easier for the CPs. Now they need not call the vendors 100 times for the delivery of the products, or for products' enquiry. One click can solve their problems. As still there are very less no of CPs taking advantage of such provisions, the vendors need to make the CPs much more comfortable with the technology and even make them aware - that how their works can be made easier and done in a minute.
Related Links:
Glimpses of AMD's Channel Initiative
Intel to Focus on Small Cities
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This is good step for all channel. |
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- Shashi Pandey,
Priya Limited, Lucknow
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