Motorola EMS launches new channel program 8 March, 2010 By Mark Cox

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"Before Motorola announced the formation of EMS, we had three channels, for radio solutions, wireless broadband and then the Symbol one, Partner Select, after it was acquired," said Mark Kroh, vice president of North America channels, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions. Kroh said they decided to keep the channel programs separate when EMS was formed because it made sense then given the Symbol integration into Motorola.

"When you join two good businesses together with two cultures, you don't want to destroy anything," he said. "To kill either of them on day one would probably have been a mistake."

Now however is the time to unify the three different programs going forward, to make the company easier to do business with, Kroh said. PartnerEmpower will comprise three distinct program tracks reflecting those three core technology areas in Motorola EMS -- wireless network solutions, radio and mobility.

"We had to develop a channel program that addressed capabilities for differentiation between the tracks," Kroh said. "Before you basically had three programs and partners who can get solutions only within their track. This makes it easier to bring solutions together."

The tracks will be rolled out in stages over the next 18 months, and existing government, public safety and enterprise channel partners will be gradually and seamlessly transitioned into the appropriate track without business interruption. In the meantime, existing programs will remain unchanged. PartnerEmpower will also offer the same kinds of marketing, sales and technical benefits, tools, support and promotions as its' predecessor.

"We want to be very transparent in the road map and our intentions, but a lot of the frameworks won't be announced until they are ready," Kroh said. "For example, in the radio channel, deal registration isn't prevalent, so we want to wait until later on this year to bring that out." The mobility deal registration plan will be the first to roll out, with wireless second and radio later in the year.

Deal registration is something that is entirely new to Motorola.

"We did not have one previously in any of our tracks because we never had a very good way to document it and get visibility, Kroh said. "That requires some significant investments in IT. If you have two partners who register the same deal, but call it something different, and both think they have it, that's a problem. The program will have no integrity and no one will buy into it. We've invested in the right systems so that won't happen."

The new tracks will include opportunities for technical certification in key areas, something that did not exist previously. They will also offer the opportunity to earn designation as a PartnerEmpower Specialist or Elite Specialist.

"We are going to make sure that partners who invest and differentiate themselves will be rewarded," Kroh said.

These designations will not only provide channel partners with access to an incremental set of program benefits, but also will enable companies to differentiate themselves from competitors while demonstrating their value-add to customers and prospects.

"Partners will have a detailed framework that's easy to understand, how to get from one level to another, how to go up that ladder, how to achieve the pinnacle of what they want to be, and how to get there," Kroh said.

Kroh also emphasized this plan has nothing to do with the recently-announced forthcoming division of Motorola into two separate companies.

"This plan was in place before the split," he said. "It's all about taking a wide portfolio to market."