Veeam Enhanced EMEA ProPartner Network

Veeam Software, Inc. has enhanced its ProPartner Program for VARs across EMEA with an additional multi-million dollar investment.

Aligned to Veeam’s 2021 channel strategy, the enhancements will reward partners that demonstrate core competencies and see Veeam strengthen its joint network of VARs, Veeam Cloud & Service Providers (VCSPs) and system integrators; enable partners to leverage the growing market adoption of subscription licensing; and offer solutions that extend partners’ value proposition to customers.

Veeam’s sales motion, which is 100% through partners, serves all customers through its ProPartner Network. The firm recognises that the move to cloud architectures and transition to agile OpEx and subscription-based IT is driving change. Modern businesses need more than implementation and require strategic advice, higher levels of service and ongoing consultancy. To support its partners in meeting the changing needs of customers and to accelerate their business and strengthen their revenue, the software company is driving competencies, simplicity and consistency so partners can ensure customer success and meet their business objectives. Since the initial competencies were introduced in 2H20, 43% of participating partners have already converted their earned points to incentive rebates, which enhances their profitability.

“We conduct 100% of our sales through the channel and our partners are critical to the acceleration of our Act II journey into the hybrid cloud. We are committed to continually investing in our partners, helping them to extend their own customer value propositions and increase profitability,” said Daniel Fried, GM and SVP, EMEA, and WW channels. “With customers focused on maximising ROI through digital transformation and de-risking by adding more robust data protection and cybersecurity measures, subscription-based IT will become the norm. The key element will always be the customer. The decisions and investments they make are ultimately based on the advice and actions of the intermediary parts between vendors and them. Veeam is enabling partners to offer higher levels of service beyond just implementation and deliver vs. these accelerating customer needs in a manner that is commercially viable and helps build stronger, more strategic relationships.“

Key enhancements to the ProPartner Program for VARs include:

• Reinforcing the partner network: To achieve the strategic objective of strengthening its network of tier-1 partners, the firm is extending the benefits range for VARs, VCSPs and system integrators on its program. This will include additional measures designed to help gold and platinum partners increase profit margins, as well as stronger deal registration incentives to reward partner performance and loyalty.
• Optimising for subscription-based licensing: Customers are increasingly looking to consume IT services through subscription-based licensing and Opex pricing models, paying for services as they are used rather than making up-front purchases on a Capex basis. Veeam is supporting its partners by enabling them to generate higher margins when selling subscription-based services.
• VAR and VCSP partnering: the company is providing additional support for VARs looking to adopt a hybrid reselling model by partnering with VCSPs – adding some of its VCSP cloud services in their portfolio to better meet their customer’s cloud services requests and generate an additional revenue stream.
• Rewarding loyalty and performance: The vendor has introduced 2 new competencies to its ProPartner Program for VARs: rewarding partners leveraging tools provided through its marketing centre and those driving deals for specific products within its strategic portfolio.

Veeam is also investing in its VARs and distributors via a Management by Objectives (MBOs), rewarding top-performing partners based on a variety of performance-related metrics.

It is introducing a tiering of enterprise partners who will be rewarded among others for their contribution to developing new deals through an influencer fee program.

The revamped program is built with the needs of end-customers in mind and will equip partners to answer accelerating customer demands around digital transformation, data protection and cybersecurity. Furthermore, the company will provide additional benefits and protection to partners, as well as reward its top-performing VARs and distributors.

“The acceleration in digital transformation spend presents an opportunity for partners, but challenges them to support a broader range of solutions and service consumption models than ever before. As the role of VARs evolves to deliver more services and become the de facto digital transformation partners in the minds of their customers, vendors must reimagine the way they engage and reward partners. Veeam understands the culture of partnerships and has recognised this shift to evolve its ProPartner Program for VARs to reward loyalty and equip them with the tools and expertise to create more strategic relationships with their customers,” said Chris Webber, research director, strategic alliances, IDC.

“Our partnership with Veeam continues to deliver real value by extending our sales opportunities through joint solutions with other vendors, increasing profitability and enabling us to successfully support subscription-based sales. As the market trends towards a more subscription-based ARR model, it is great to see that Veeam is rewarding partners for driving that business in the right direction and supporting customer retention. We are committed to investing in our partnership with Veeam and taking advantage of the support provided to VARs in its ProPartner Network such as the opportunity to upskill our sales team in new data protection solutions as well as leverage rewards based on loyalty and performance,” said Joe Hepburn, head of data management, Bytes Software Services Ltd UK, a platinum Veeam VAR.

“ITEC has worked with Veeam as a strategic partner for over six years. The ProPartner Program for VARs has helped ensure ITECs sales and technical teams are fully equipped to deploy and support Veeam products. The partner program has continued to evolve over time and provides regular updates on product roadmaps, sales and technical enablement and how Veeam partners can create new opportunities to use Veeam in both new and existing customers. The ProPartner Program for VARs has provided ITEC with resources from Veeam to help develop solutions and support customer engagements,” saidJames Arscott, head of data centre services, ITEC Connect Ltd, a silver Veeam VAR and silver Veeam CSP.