Novell Refines PartnerNet, Partner Engagement Model For Linux Era
Following the completion Tuesday of its $210 million acquisition of Linux distribution giant Suse, Novell's top executives outlined an expanded demand agent program and three-tiered engagement model it claims will drive sales this year.
Novell told CRN it has extended its successful demand agent program to its 400 Gold partners. Novell also instituted a new engagement model that gives partners more field sales support and carves out 40 U.S. territories, in place of its current 22 districts. Previously the demand agent program was open only to Novell's select group of Platinum partners.
Mark Hardardt, Novell's vice president of global sales, said the company's new territory model comprises a three-person team -- a business partner executive, territory sales person and inside sales person -- who collaborate on opportunities and fulfillment.
The channel refinements are designed to push the company's Secure Identity Management (SIM) and Nterprise products, although Novell also eyes its newly acquired Linux distribution as a major partner opportunity in 2004.
Novell Chairman and CEO Jack Messman said the strength of the channel program, coupled with the new refinements, will fuel the company's big plunge into the Linux marketplace.
"We have a history of leveraging the channel, and Linux is a very good opportunity for the channel," said Messman, noting that Novell's channel gives it a advantage over its closest competitor, Red Hat. "Suse has very little presence in the United States [and] we are creating another whole revenues stream for the channel in that they can sell the Suse Linux product. But service, and technical support, is a very important part. [The channel] can provide most of that."
Novell is gearing up Webcasts, tools and training to help partners jumpstart their Linux practices. The recently introduced Certified NetWare Engineer (CNE) 2004 certification course, for instance, now offers training for the new Novell Nterprise Linux Services 1.0 and will include a module on Suse Linux next year, executives said. By the end of this month, the company plans to ship a Go-To-Market kit and CD for Linux partners, entitled Novell Linux Solutions.
Novell will present some of its channel plans to Suse partners and other Linux solution providers attending the Suse Partner Conference in New York. The conference will be held just before the launch of LinuxWorld Expo next week. Suse lists about 500 business partners, most of whom are based in Europe. To date, Novell has trained 700 employees on Linux.
Chris Stone, vice chairman of the office of the CEO, said Novell expects 30 percent growth of its Suse Linux distribution this year.