Hyperion Reaches Out

Hyperion admits that it just can't do it all. So to increase sales of its business-performance-management software into vertical markets it can't reach, it's expanding its channel-partner efforts with a new program that offers solution providers sales and marketing help, tech support and product certification.

Hyperion's System 9 software is a mainstay in many companies' financial-management and planning operations. But Hyperion isn't as prevalent beyond the CFO office, even though components of System 9, including its business-intelligence and data-management tools, can be applied to a range of business functions such as sales, marketing and operations. And that's particularly true in vertical industries like retail, consumer packaged goods and banking.

Solution providers can combine their vertical-industry knowledge and expertise in business processes with System 9. SolutionsNet, a new component of Hyperion's Global Partner Program, is designed to leverage that expertise, says Mercedes Ellison, vice president of Global Partner Sales.

Hyperion isn't the only business-intelligence and business-performance-management software developer to place greater emphasis on the channel. Earlier this year, SAS Institute began developing a program to sell six of its business-intelligence, data-analysis and data-integration products through VARs to small and midsize businesses with a goal of generating 15 percent to 20 percent of its revenue through resellers by the end of 2008. Major vendors such as Business Objects and Cognos rely heavily on channel partners to help boost sales.

Hyperion already has formal OEM and reseller programs, and the company generates about 25 percent of its license revenue through VARs, Ellison says. Under the new program, Hyperion will identify and catalog vertical-market and business-process-specific solutions built around its products and certify their compatibility. Hyperion will promote those solutions through its Web site, marketing campaigns and other venues, develop a demand-generation program, and provide training and other incentives to its sales force to work with channel partners.

"It shows that from a macro level, BI vendors are recognizing the value of verticalizing their BPM solutions," says Madan Sheina, lead analyst for business-intelligence technologies at ComputerWire. "They're tapping the channel to get hold of some domain expertise."

Hyperion has already put some 20 channel partners through the SolutionsNet validation process and identified another 60 solution providers that are candidates for the program. Among the 20 are Palladium, which developed a retail-merchandise planning system around System 9 BI+ Essbase Analytics, and Answerthink, which provides sales-analysis software and consulting services built around System 9 BI+ Enterprise Analytics for the consumer packaged-goods and insurance industries.

Jake Krakauer, Hyperion senior director of solutions and industry marketing, says the Palladium system is a perfect example of the kind of vertical industry-focused solution Hyperion doesn't have the expertise to provide. "You won't see a merchandising solution from Hyperion because it's just not in our DNA," he says.