2008 Channel Chiefs: Who's Who In Networking

Nick Tidd

VP, Worldwide Channel Sales

3Com

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

3Com's FOCUS parner program was rolled out to the APR region this year. The FOCUS program now has a global footprint completing a two-year roll out.

Jim Lima

Director of Channel Sales and Marketing

A10 Networks

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

Over the past year our focus was on recruiting and working with key channel partners based on the mid-year introduction of our AX Series Application Traffic Manager - Next-generation Server Load Balancers. We added three new channel partners in the US and built the channel significantly in Asia Pacific region.

Ted Cole

VP, Channel Sales

Adtran

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

A. Realignment of the sales force to become even more partner centric. We made a number of enhancements to our sales coverage model in 2007 to better serve our partners. This realignment resulted in more effective coverage for our partners, as well as an increase in the number of people providing support in each area.

B. Launched a new multi-faceted program designed to help us better understand our partners and the customers they are serving. This has been an extensive effort that has been underway for more than six months. This process evaluates data from a number of initiatives such as partner segmentation and partner profiling and structures that data in a useful manner to help us balance partner productivity and growth. It has helped to identify the most productive partners and the types of customers they service. In addition, it has also helped us improve partner enablement, helping them to grow their business, and in turn, grow ADTRAN's business.

C. The partner initiatives previously discussed culminated in being Named Networking Infrastructure Company of the Year in the VARBusiness Annual Report Card. This honor stands out because we were able to unseat our biggest competitor (in two of three categories) in our inaugural appearance in the ARC. Many of our scores were tops in the survey, not only in our category. This award presents measurable proof that ADTRAN's ADvantage Partner Program is worthy of recognition and stands out from the competition.

Carmen Sorice

VP North America Channel Sales

Alcatel-Lucent

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

In 2007, we grew our NA Channels Business well above market growth rates, in a year in which we also integrated Alcatel's and Lucent's Channel Programs. We have achieved significant growth with existing partners, and we have recruited and signed new partners who have also contributed to our growth.

Donny Ward

VP Channels North America

Avaya

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

Service Provider and System Integrator Partner Program; Focus on Loyalty and partner engagement within the territory; Programs to support partner marginality; Account and Territory Mapping.

Erny-Jay Mezas

Director of Sales - Americas

Buffalo Technology - US

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

We continue to be the market share leader in the Network Attached Storage category. Our Channel commitment continues through adding resources as well as providing our partners the necessary tools to support their business.

Keith Goodwin

Senior VP, Worldwide Channels

Cisco, Worldwide Channels

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

VIP hits $1 billion: In April of 2007, we passed $1 billion in Value Incentive Program (VIP) payouts to our channel partners. The popular incentive program--based on value--rewards our global community of channel partners for success in key advanced technologies, including Unified Communications, Security and Wireless. Cisco Industry Solutions Partner Network: In September 2007, we introduced the Cisco Industry Solutions Partner Network (ISPN) to engage, enable and reward a global community of channel partners, application providers and others to collaborate in the creation and delivery of industry-specific solutions that address the business needs of customers. Among other things, ISPN leverages Cisco Partner Space, an innovative virtual environment, to facilitate this collaboration.

Partner Talent: Our channel partners have told us their top concern and inhibitor to growth is IT talent. To help our partners acquire, develop and retain talent we have launched an aggressive partner talent initiative. We have already launched a series of exciting initiatives, such as internship programs with Cisco Networking Academy graduates, partner job fairs (in the real world and Second Life) and HR Forums (to share best practices with partners).

Managed Services Channel Program: As part of the IT industry's first offer-based partner program model, and consistent with our value-based strategy, we launched the first global Managed Services Channel Program (MSCP) to help partners capitalize on the huge market opportunity in managed services. Managed services represent just one part of the unprecedented breadth of opportunities we see for Cisco partners today.

Greg Davis

VP and General Manager, of the Americas Channel Group.

Dell Americas Channel Group

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

1. Access to a dedicated partner Web site at www.dell.com/partner; includes dedicated partner online store with consistent, best online pricing.

2. Partner logos and guidelines for certain marketing activities.

3. 100-percent dedicated sales and customer care.

4. Certification paths and training.

5. Credit options.

6. Deal registration serviced by SalesForce.com's partner relationship management tool.

Keith Karlsen

Executive VP

D-Link Systems, Inc.

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

1. Initiated innovative Switch for Free promotion designed to provide trial switch units to prospects. This resulted in quadruple sales calls and more 130 switches planted with an estimated potential revenue of $10 million.

2. Streamlined the Premier Partner Program to simplify the recruitment and service of solution providers.

3. Significantly increased business into the government and education markets.

Steven Smidler

VP Sales - Americas

Eaton | Powerware

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

Establishment of a Field based systems engineering team to assist Resellers and IT Channel partners configure and sell Power back up (UPS) and Power Distribution systems.

Christopher Rajiah

Director, North American Channels

Extreme Networks, North America Sales

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

1. Developed and launched a new and comprehensive channel program.

2. Established a common distribution pricing model.

3. MDF funds accrued and allocated for Both ASP and SP partners.

4. Completed standard agreements for all distribution and reseller partners.

5. Established a centralized focus on Regional Partner Development for CAMs and registered over 977 deals totaling $261M since program inception.

Steve Hale

VP, North America Partner Organization

F5 Networks

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

- 33% growth in business through the Partner Channel.

- 53% increase in revenue among Top 50 North America partners.

- Half of Top 50 North America partners grew by over 50%.

- Large growth with Dell higher ed push leveraging Dell Global Enterprise Solution Labs for customer sizings and proof of concepts (engaged with in March 2007).

- 58 Universities added as F5 customers through engagements with the labs (all new F5 customers).

- Large growth with Service Providers (AT&T, Verizon, Qwest).

- Big increase in traditional VAR Partner Professional Services and Revenue.

- Large increase in new VAR Partner sales.

- 1997 Global Technology Distribution Conference - Rising Star Award.

- Positive coverage by publications and industry analysts (details upon request).

- Delivered F5 Designed Solution Selling Training to Partners.

- F5 Partner Conference in Chicago (July 2007 -- 320 Attendees)

Scott Tuthill

VP, Small and Medium Business, Americas, Imaging and Printing Group

Hewlett-Packard Imaging and Printing Group, Small and Medium Business, Americas

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

Transforming our value channel offering for IPG to enable more partners to go after growth opportunities in capturing pages. This includes transitioning our SVIP Elite program to the Office Printing program and enhancing our Smart Printing Services to support a variety of partner financial models and selling motions.

Stacey Wueste

VP of Partner Development and Programs, HP Solution Partners Organization (SPO)

Hewlett-Packard, HP Solution Partners Organization (SPO)

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

In 2007, HP was focused on engaging deeper with partners in the public sector and mid-market in the Americas. In the public sector, HP focused on helping its partners win state/local education and federal business and that focus has resulted in major growth opportunities for HP and our partners. HP also expanded its commitment to the public sector with a more collaborative sales engagement model, improved rules of engagement to drive predictability, and more tightly integrated planning with our public sector partners. HP also created an entirely new state/local education sales organization. For the mid-market, HP introduced new programs and products that better align our partner business managers and partners in the mid-market. HP also launched several new innovative mobility, storage, and MFP products designed specifically for the mid-market that give our partners more reasons to choose HP products when selling into mid-market accounts.

Adrian Jones

VP and General Manager, HP Solution Partners Organization (SPO), Americas

Hewlett-Packard, HP Solutions Partners Organization (SPO)

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

During the past year, we've been focused on taking our sales strategy to the next level by engaging deeper with partners in the mid-market and public sector. We launched products and programs to assure tighter alignment between our partner business managers and partners in the mid-market, and we announced a variety of innovative mobility, storage, and MFP products designed specifically for the mid-market that give our solution partners more reasons to engage their customer base in this fast-growing segment. Weve also raised the bar in our partner collaboration, focusing on delivering enhanced simplicity, predictability and consistency to our partners. In the public sector, HP has taken a more focused approach with state/local education and federal entities, which has provided significant growth opportunities for HP and our partners. During the past year, we created a new dedicated state/local education sales organization. We've also shifted our strategic focus to take advantage of additional opportunities beyond contract-based sales. We're expanding our commitment to the public sector with a more collaborative sales engagement model, improved rules of engagement to drive predictability, and more tightly integrated planning with our public sector partners.

Frank Vitagliano

Senior VP, World Wide Channels

Juniper Networks

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

- Grew WW enterprise revenues in excess of 25% and year-over-year distribution growth for America; as well over 40% (2006 over 2005).

- Welcomed more than 3,153 new J-Partners WW to Juniper Networks. 65% increase in J-Partner registration YOY.

- Helped J-Partners focused on security and networking solutions earn double-digit margins.

- GovEd (especially federal space) posted tremendous sales opportunity and results for our J-Partners.

- Branch solutions and high performance networking products showed very well with our J-Partners and have displaced many competitors'products.

- Juniper dedicated focus on the channel in 2006 positively contributed to the company's market share gains (Q1 07): i. #1 SSL VPN (Source: Infonetics) ii. #1 High-end Firewall (Source: Infonetics) iii. #2 Total Network Security (Source: Infonetics) iv. #2 Enterprise Routing, v. #2 High-end Enterprise Routing (Source: Synergy) vi. #2 Secure Routing (Source: Infonetics) vii. Gartner Magic Quadrant -- Leaders Quadrant 1. SSL VPN, Firewall, IPS, IPSec VPN, WAN Optimization Controllers.

Nigel Williams

VP, World Wide Channel Organization

Linksys, a division of Cisco

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

The program has been in some flux this year, we have moved toward closer integration with Cisco's channel program, while still remaining dedicated to the customers that remain Linksys focused. In the end our channel customers will reap benefits of a robust program that should give them limitless support and maximum potential for growth.

Gregg Kalman

VP, US Channels

Meru Networks

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

- Launched Partner Extranet

- Over Doubled Channel Sales

- Built first world-wide channel sales team

- First to train and ship 802.11N to partners.

Matthew J. Dargis

Sr. Director of Sales, SMB North America

NetGear

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

NETGEAR reorganized our U.S. VAR sales focusing on partner development. We also added a Gov/Ed team, Channel Marketing executives focused on SMB, revamped Partner Program, transferred support to US for VAR's and added lifetime warranty on Prosafe products.

Keith M Alexis

VP, Sales

SMC Networks

Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:

Building value for our partners: SMC has increased partner margins (both SI and Disty) in age where networking hardware margins continue to decline. During this process, SMC has also redefined it's core business, built a new base of clients,while making sure this business is accessable to our Channel Partners. Moreover, we've launched new technologies like 10G over Copper, both NIC and Switch - the first in the industry. While in itself a major accomplishment, SMC, after 30+ years in networking and once known for Arcnet and Token Ring, has expaned it's Elite Partner Program. The new program includes aggressive Gov/Ed discounts, Partnership discounts for joint marketing activities, and an expanded group of engineers that assist in the customization of features based on client requirements