Oculan Launches Tiered Channel Program

The new partner designations, Purple Partner and Premier Partner, replace the vendor's previous program, which offered no distinction between partners, said Robert Davis, president and CEO of Oculan, based here.

Some of Oculan's partners were looking for the vendor to provide more support to the solution providers putting in the most effort, Davis said. "[Under the previous program], the level of commitment on the partner side was somewhat minimal, and the support we offered was standard, regardless of the investment the partners put in," he said.

Under the new program, Oculan rewards top-level partners for their commitment, said Dan Harris, director of sales and marketing at Systems and Services, a solution provider in Charleston, S.C. "In this business, you have to work with the group that brings the most revenue in," he said.

The Purple Partner program provides entry-level partners with Web-based sales and technical training, support and access to marketing materials. These partners might be interested in Oculan's technology but not yet willing to make a large investment in the partnership, Davis said.

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Purple Partners and not required to make any financial commitments to join the program.

Premier Partners are required to pay a fee to join the program, but Davis declined to disclose the amount of the fee.

In return, Premier Partners receive a demonstration unit and access to advanced programs, including market development funds, a lead generation program and credits that can be used for discounts and rebates. Premier Partners also receive the same training, support and marketing tools available to Purple Partners.

Both partner levels are required to adhere to minimum certified staffing requirements and undergo a credit check, he said.

Oculan began rolling out the new programs in April in conjunction with the launch of its new Oculan 250 product line. The appliance combines network management, desktop and server management, intrusion detection, vulnerability scanning and bandwidth analysis capabilities for businesses with up to 25 nodes and 250 seats.

At that time, the vendor also switched from a subscription model--through which it rented appliances to customers--to a product sales strategy.

Both Purple and Premier Partners can sell Oculan's products to customers outright or use them to provide customers with remote management services, the company said.