CRN Exclusive: Viavi Unveils New Global Channel Sales Program With New MDF, Incentives

On Monday, Viavi Solutions is launching Velocity -- its new global channel partner program with incentives, promotions and tools designed to expand its channel presence in the enterprise and service provider spaces.

The recently formed Milpitas, Calif.-based vendor provides software and hardware platforms that deliver end-to-end network test and visibility solutions across physical, virtual and hybrid networks.

"We're coming in with a very aggressive program that pretty much guarantees double-digit margins for partners, with a very competitive portfolio and proven carrier-grade technologies," said Sergio Bea, vice president of Worldwide Channels for Viavi. "We want to take some market share in the enterprise sector, and the way you do that is through solutions providers. So this is a great opportunity for our partners -- and new possible partners -- to leverage this program."

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In August, JDS Uniphase split into two companies: Lumentum and Viavi. Viavi obtained JDSU's monitoring equipment for both optical and wireless networks, and its former optical security and performance division. Bea said his company has more than 3,200 employees in 40 offices around the globe with a "very strong" presence in the carrier and service provider space.

"We now have much more agility and freedom to pursue innovation and grow our customer base," said Bea. "We offer service providers and enterprises a complete end-to-end suite of software- and hardware-based solutions that are geared to garner analytics from the network and transform that into insights that can be applied toward network performance and troubleshooting."

Velocity was created to increase sales through the channel, which currently sits at about 40 percent of Viavi's sales, through a simplified sales process, improved marketing development funds and enhanced deal registration incentives.

There are three tiers to the new program: authorized, premier and elite, with new tiered pricing.

Elite partners get a 5 percent market development funds accrual, with a cap of $100,000 per year, while premier partners get 3 percent with a cap of $25,000. Although authorized partners receive no accrual, Viavi also has discretionary marketing dollars based on an OpEx model open to all channel partners. Bea says his company will invest an additional $3 million in MDF funding in its channel with the launch of the program.

On top of an already "aggressive" deal registration program, partners who register net new opportunities will be granted an additional 10 points on top of the highest discount available. For example, he said, an elite partner might get 25 percent for a deal registration, but if even an authorized partner registers a deal, the partner will get 10 percent over the 25 percent the elite partner receives.

"We’re doing that to ensure that whoever is hunting and bringing new net business is rewarded," said Bea.

Viavi is also providing a 5 percent additional discount for stocking orders. The company is also introducing a new Web-based partner portal to provide its channel with the latest resources to grow their businesses -- making it easier for partners to access sales, marketing and pricing information.

Aaron Joyce, director of Group Business Development at Butler Transtest, a Maynooth, Ireland-based Viavi partner, said the new partner program shows Viavi's commitment to developing and growing its business through the channel.

"It helps partners understand Viavi's reward model for products, solutions and services," said Joyce. "[It drives] the changes required to ensure the expanding portfolio of solutions is made available to and promoted through partners in an effective, well-resourced and supportive manner."

Joyce says he "absolutely" believes the new program will help drive Viavi sales in the enterprise through improved training, MDF funding and Viavi's revamped channel focus.

Bea said he is building flexible partner programs to help channels scale and grow alongside Viavi, while leveraging its existing portfolio.

"Our portfolio is a great complement to a lot of the mainstream solutions that solution providers are offering today," said Bea. "We work with Cisco, Ericson where they embed our solutions into some of their offerings, so [our solution providers] are strong at selling virtualization, storage, Cisco, Juniper -- they can come in with this complementary set of solutions around network analytics and network performance, now suddenly they have an add-on story with strong margins and where the sales effort doesn’t necessarily have to be that big. That's resonated a lot with our partners."

PUBLISHED OCT. 30, 2015