Sun PS Seeks Closer Ties to Partners

Sun Professional Services

To that end, Sun PS is putting the finishing touches on a "buddy" program that will pair local practice managers with partners, said Larry Baker, director of partner programs for Sun PS.

The Professional Services person will serve as "an executive sponsor for a partner," Baker said. "They will explain how to deal with Sun and Sun Professional Services and answer any questions" the partner has.

A pilot version of the program is under way now in the Southwest region, one of the geographical areas Baker oversees.

"We're getting good reviews" of the initial interaction between partners,which can be Sun VARs or Sun ONE and iForce solution providers,and Sun PS executives, Baker said.

He said he hopes to roll out the partner-matching program nationwide and perhaps internationally in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Baker also provided a brief update on the status of Sun's Authorized Delivery program, which was launched in February and permits iForce partners to be certified to market, private-label and sell Sun PS services.

In fiscal 2003, Sun PS intends to charge partners 5 percent of the sale of these services, Baker said. "This year, there was no fee," he said, characterizing the 5 percent amount as a "usage fee."

"It allows us to keep the services up to speed," he said.

Baker also explained that Sun PS is weighing how the Authorized Sales and Referral Program (ASRP), also launched in February, might be applicable to Sun ONE partners and global systems integrators such as Accenture and Cap Gemini Ernst and Young.

Under ASRP, solution providers can resell SunTone Certified Services and get compensated for leads they feed to Sun PS and work they split with Sun PS.

"Some partners may have really strong server capabilities," Baker said, "but they may not have SAN [expertise. We would come in and help" with the storage implementation, he said.