EMC: hooking the big one 24 May, 2007 By Steve Wexler

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"Dell is part of our ecosystem," he said. "Most of our partners have figured out how to live with that." That typically involves focusing on "more complete solutions surrounded by services as opposed to just trying to sell a product (typically tied to a server, as Dell does)."

Koliopoulos said EMC will need to understand Dell's eventual channel plans but he doesn't envision any significant issues. Dell can sell both EMC and co-branded storage products, but while EMC has no control over the co-branded sales, it can ensure that other product is not made available, especially in the case where Dell might be trying to undercut a deal with an existing partner that has registered a deal.

Under a deal registration, a partner is protected for 90 days, he said. "We do a lot of querying of customers and partners, almost like focus groups." The majority of the time is spent listening and then responding to partner needs. "Upwards of 80% of changes in program were direct feedback from partners at partners councils. And we do that on a regular basis."

Earlier this year EMC announced changes to its Velocity Partner Program that will focus on increasing partner profitability, improving ease of doing business and enhancing partner loyalty. The changes were intended to address the four major partner issues: profitability; ease of doing business, including an emphasis on 'predictability'; reducing channel conflict; and self-sufficiency.

To help increase partner profitability, EMC is making its Authorized Services Network (ASN) more relevant to partners by having EMC sales people work with partners so they can have access to the company's entire professional service portfolio in SMBs. In addition to delivering more professional services, EMC has stream-lined training to minimize the time out of field and lowered some of the charges on accreditation and delivery certification, such as no longer charging systems engineers for accreditation workshops.

Also, the storage company has enhanced its partner support centre by developing more tools to help partners in such areas as helping them see their real-time status in the partner program, which would help them see how they can move to the next tier. Increasing self-sufficiency is one of the key objectives, said Koliopoulos.

The company wants the channel to be extension of itself. "We want to teach them how to fish, not just hand them fish."

And at the end of the day, if they do all these things right, he said, we'll have loyal partners.

With files from Vanessa Ho.