BEA: Boon Or Bust?

While some partners have voiced displeasure over the changes, others say their BEA relationships are working well.

Gamiel Gran, vice president of global alliances, said BEA is working on a midmarket strategy that will address partner needs in unnamed accounts. He said the majority of BEA's partners target the midmarket.

"Who we partner with has little to do with the size of the company," Gran said. "It has to do with the contribution they make [to our sales goals."

BEA also has identified 2,000 named accounts it will target directly, although partners are welcome to engage with BEA in those accounts, he said.

BEA, based here, has been restructuring its sales operations and reducing its partner head count since its fiscal year began on Feb. 1, said Gran.

Those cuts, coupled with the March departure of Rauline Ochs, who was executive vice president of global alliances, have led some to question BEA's channel commitment.

One three-star solution provider said he has been disappointed in the amount of support he has gotten from BEA. Three stars is the highest level of partnership in BEA's Star Partner Program, launched last year by Ochs.

The source, who requested anonymity, said while his company still partners with BEA, his organization "would've been a stronger partner if [BEA would've supported us more."

Gran, who has been acting as interim channel chief since Ochs' departure, said BEA remains committed to partners, although he admits some may have fallen through the cracks during the restructuring.

In the process of doing what we're doing, we're not going to please everybody," said Gran.

BEA is targeting four vertical markets and five geographical areas and is looking to find the best partners for those particular areas, said Gran.

The vertical markets include financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, government and brokerage, said Gran. The geographies are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

BEA has about 2,000 partners, 700 of which are systems integrators.

Curt Stevenson, founder and vice president of business development at 50-person solution provider Back Bay Technologies, Boston, called his company's

relationship with BEA "great."

"Our sales reps and their sales reps do joint calls together," said Stevenson.

Todd Welch, manager of partner and alliances at 130-person solution provider Full Tilt Solutions, King of Prussia, Pa., said his company recently transitioned from a one-star partner to a two-star partner in BEA's program.

Welch said his company receives ample support from BEA's team in his area and that Full Tilt has worked successfully with BEA's professional services group.

Full Tilt's strong relationship with its local BEA team is key to the successful partnership, he said.

"If you have a relationship with the local BEA team, your relationship will be better," Welch said. "We work those relationships really hard."