Sun to Detail Sun ONE Elite Program Oct. 30

Sun Microsystems

The vendor hopes to capitalize on the success of its Storage Elite program, which rewards solution providers with a 3 percent rebate on Sun purchases if 25 percent are storage-related.

In the seven months since Storage Elite was introduced, 41 U.S. solution providers have signed up for the program, and their combined storage revenue has increased 111 percent with a 47 percent attach rate, according to Gary Grimes, vice president of partner management and sales for Sun.

In response, the vendor has written $4 million in rebate checks to the solution providers, Grimes said at distributor MOCA's Net@Work Partner Forum for Sun solution providers here.

"It's going to implement of a lot of things partners have been asking for," Grimes said. "They are saying give us a better business process, an opportunity to make more money. Reward us for our loyalty to Sun. Show us that you love us."

In August, CRN reported the Sun ONE program was in development, but Sun executives did not comment at that time.

Volume details still have not been finalized, but solution providers stand to make a 3 percent rebate at the Premier level and a 5 percent level at the Elite level on Sun ONE purchases, said Bill Cate, director of Sun's iForce program.

"It's pure cash for sales," Cate said.

SIS Technologies, a $30 million Houston-based solution provider, is a Storage Elite member and plans to join Sun ONE Elite when it is introduced, said John Reed, principal and COO.

"Their software has matured the last couple of years," Reed said. "The money is nice. That's where it's at."