PARTNERS ’ PERSPECTIVE competitive . Juniper ensures that the Juniper Partner Advantage Programme is significantly updated annually , plus smaller improvements and changes driven by changes in the market on a regular basis .
“ It is important that partners are part of an agile and evolving partner programme that listens to feedback and
The channel landscape has been significantly influenced by customer and end-user demand for digital transformation and technologies .
makes necessary changes . Good vendor programmes will monitor the market alongside feedback gathered from partners and customers to help identify adjustments needed in response to changing market dynamics ,” says Juniper Networks ’ Eweidat .
“ Today ’ s technology cycles are moving faster than ever , and partner programmes need to keep the pace in a similar fashion . At Qualys , we iterate on our programme , offers , promotions , and initiatives every quarter as we learn and get feedback from our customers , our partners , and our sales teams ,” says Qualys ’ Huelskamp .
It is very important that all these changes are done in close consultation with partners and that any and all changes are clearly communicated , well in advance of them taking effect , so that partners can build these into their own business calculus and have better predictability in managing their business .
“ At Qualys , we conduct regular partner advisory councils and NDA briefings bringing partners into roadmap conversations around our programme and our products frequently ,” adds Qualys ’ Huelskamp .
“ The need for flexibility is greater than ever as partner themselves must adapt their business model to the preferences of customers . At Kissflow , we have shattered the restrictive structure of traditional partner programmes . While other vendors tie rewards and benefits to rigid tiering systems that require partners to make significant investments of time and capital , we instead tailor our programme benefits to the unique needs and ambitions of each of our partners ,” says Mohan Madhurakavi , Digital Transformation Evangelist , at Kissflow .
As a result , partners have the potential to reap the industry ’ s highest percentage of commissions and rebates . Kissflow offers commissions not only at the time of initial sale , but also for annual renewals .
Updates to partner programmes used to be announced on a yearly basis . But now , with real-time platforms and instantaneous feedback , this has become far more dynamic . On time delivery , quality and customer feedback KPIs are now available on a real time basis .
“ With two wars going on at the same time , prices of commodities and the cost of doing business are also changing on a daily basis . To ensure that partners are constantly equipped for success , and that potential hurdles are flagged long before they become issues , vendors must engage with their channel partners to evaluate the relationship , and offer any support that might be needed to keep customer projects on track , says Kissflow ’ s Madhurakavi .
Barb Huelskamp , Senior Vice President , Global Channels and Alliances , Qualys
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