Sun Rolls Out New Sun ONE Partner Program

Sun Microsystems

Sun could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But according to Sun documents viewed by CRN, Sun is in the process of signing up partners for the iForce Partner Program for Sun ONE, Sun ONE Specialty. The program is aimed at helping Sun partners build and deploy solutions using Sun ONE software products, such as the Sun ONE Application Server and the Sun ONE Directory Server, sources said.

There are three levels to the program: Foundation Specialty, Premier Specialty and Elite Specialty. Like the Sun Storage Elite program, high-level partners in the program receive rebates on Sun software sales, according to Sun documents.

Premier partners receive revenue performance rebates for Sun software sales if the sales meet a required quarterly minimum. Elite specialty partners also receive revenue performance rebates, but theirs are more substantial than premier partner rebates as long as the partners meet a required quarterly minimum, according to the documents.

All levels of Sun ONE Specialty partners receive license distribution rights for at least some Sun ONE software, according to Sun documents. Sun ONE Foundation Specialty partners receive rights to "foundation products," while Sun ONE Premier Specialty and Sun ONE Elite Speciality receive rights to all Sun ONE products, the documents said.

All partner levels also receive sales training for Sun ONE products, though Premier and Elite Specialty partners receive more advanced and technology-specific training than Foundation partners, according to Sun documents.

All partners in the new program also receive marketing support and have access to market-development resources, the documents stated. Premier and Elite partners also are assigned their own marketing manager from Sun and receive customized marketing planning and press-release support from the vendor.

Rob Mock, founder, president and CEO of Detroit-based solution provider Dewpoint and the president of the Sun ONE VAR Council, said the new program is part of Sun's commitment to use partners as much as possible to sell its Sun ONE software line.

"I think some people are getting some new channel religion" from Sun, Mock said.

Mock said that at a recent Sun ONE VAR Council meeting, there was much emphasis "on partner loyalty" from Sun executives.

Sun, based here, has been aggressively driving Sun ONE software sales since the appointment of Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president of software, in July. The vendor recently changed its sales compensation model to incent its sales force to sell software.

Sun told partners at a recent meeting in Burlingame, Calif., that it will compensate Sun salespeople as if $1 of Sun ONE software sold equals $4, a move that will result in higher commission payments.