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Aruba Networks this week confirmed a number of additions to its channel partner program, including more comprehensive deal registration and greater discount rewards for upper-tier partners.
Aruba PartnerEdge launched three years ago and these days numbers more than 400 VARs. The challenge now is getting it to better empower partners, suggested Bob Bruce, vice president of worldwide channel sales.
"One thing I sat down and huddled with the team on is how to make sure partners who spend the time, effort and money with Aruba know the efforts we're putting into this and know that they're going to be rewarded with opportunities downstream," Bruce told CRN this week. "We've ensured we've done that and we've made sure we have a program that is world-class."
Starting Nov. 1, Aruba partners will have access to a bulked-up deal registration program that offers bigger discounts, according to Aruba. Deal registration requirements are also clearer-cut: partners can register opportunities by either introducing a deal to Aruba -- a new customer or a new opportunity with an existing customer -- or taking the lead on a deal's sales cycle, be it through providing bill of materials, the network design, or something else that shifts the sales legwork to the partner instead of Aruba.
"We've had a lot of feedback from partners over the last couple of years that they would like the program to be more well-defined," said Juila McConaughy, Aruba's director of channel operations. "They want to understand: 'If I do X, I get Y,' and have there be less discretion in the program."
