Mumbai: Business communications software provider, Avaya, has announced a new global channel program called “Avaya EdgeSM”. The new streamlined program expands rewards, streamlines requirements, aligns partners to the digital business imperatives. Avaya EdgeSM also replaces previous partner program Avaya Connect, which launched nine years ago.
Although just announced on Tuesday, the program officially launched on October 1, to align with the start of the company’s fiscal year. Avaya will evaluate partners under both the Connect and Edge programs for the first six months, recognizing them at the higher level to give them time to align with the changes. This new program will help drive mutual profitability and help ensure partners possess the expertise required to provide the transformative solutions customers need in the digital marketplace.
“The strength of a channel program is the degree to which it enables the success of its partners, recognizes and applauds their unique capabilities as they apply them to serve our customers. This means the program needs the flexibility within a supportive structure that reduces requirements to only those that are most essential. I believe the new Avaya EdgeSM program accomplishes this and enables our channel partners to capture share through the transition of the market and Avaya”, Steve Biondi, Vice President and Global Channel Chief, Avaya said in a press statement.
Avaya said that the announcement of the new partner program was a move towards adopting the industry shifts. Avaya Connect was very hardware-focused, appropriate at the time of the program’s launch. Today, however, software and services have increased to about 51 percent of total revenue at Avaya, and that hardware focus is no longer the best approach. Avaya EdgeSM recognizes and rewards partners for total annualized revenue, including services and subscriptions.
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Key elements of Avaya Edge include:
Simplified Structure – Streamlined requirements reduce complexity and the resources partners need to manage the program. For example, Avaya EdgeSM can potentially halve the amount of time partners previously required to complete credentials.
Greater Benefits – Partners receive compensation for a broader scope of revenue, including not only hardware/product sales but also 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.
Avaya has the diverse portfolio of partners in terms of size and business focus. To better accommodate emerging business models and specialized resellers, Avaya EdgeSM has introduced six different tracks that include Cloud, SMB, Enterprise, Systems Integrator/Service Provider, Distributor, and Direct Market Reseller. Each track has a different set of requirements, including revenue, credentials, and customer satisfaction. The company believes that EdgeSM will give partners higher overall rebates and improve alignment with its global network of partners.