Infor looks to UK for partners

Infor has unveiled a push to expand its channel in the UK in a bid to win market share for its Performance Management, ERP and CRM software.

Commenting on the partner recruitment campaign, Jean-Philippe Pommel, VP, EMEA channels and alliances, Infor, says: “Our approach remains focused on quality over quantity. We are not looking to take on thousands of partners but a smaller number of focused partners that are well aligned with our products and company philosophy.”

Infor CTO Bruce Gordon told Channel Pro that the firm currently does between 65 – 70 percent direct, and although it doesn’t want to change the hybrid model, it is aiming to get 40 percent of its business going through the channel.

Gordon explained that the firm was targeting the lower end of the mid-market through the channel, while maintaining a direct business with large customers. As such, Infor’s direct sales team is focused on the $100m-upwards space, and the channel at the lower end of the mid market in the $20m -$100m arena.

Gordon also admitted that Infor needed to raise awareness of its brand, a view echoed by president of global field operations, Greg Corgan, who told partners at its channel conference last week that the firm is “the largest software company you’ve never heard of.”

The US company posted US$2.2bn in revenues last year (US$970m in EMEA) last year. 24 percent of total EMEA revenue comes through the channel.

Corgan outlined the company’s plans to dominate the mid-market at the conference: “Oracle and SAP are there, but nobody owns it or dominates it,” he says. “We see a significant opportunity where we can play and play large.”