FrontRange looks to bring partners together
FrontRange Solutions has opened up about changes to its indirect channel and its efforts to unite its partners under one brand, following its acquisition activities in recent years.
The IT Service Management and CRM software developer hopes a revamped channel programme will provide it with a more consistent relationship with its diverse range partners, in the wake of its purchases of Centennial Software and Enteo a couple of years ago.
“The acquisitions changed the nature of our direct and indirect sales business,” explains Matt Fisher, director at FrontRange Solutions.
Fisher says the new channel programme is designed to reward partners that add value and commitment to the business.
Bringing the brand together
Ian McEwan, who joined FrontRange in February this year as VP for EMEA, says that the acquisitions resulted in a programme with a mixed set of contracts with different modules and sets of criteria. His aim this year is to “bring the brand together around FrontRange.” Already having re-branded some of its products, the firm is now trying to strengthen its foothold with customers by up selling and cross selling across the portfolio.
“There have been a huge variety of changes to the programme around lead generation, sales enablement, partner certification to partner recruitment,” he says.
Shakeup
McEwan says the firm’s UK sales force has also seen a shakeup, with 80 percent undergoing changes to follow a more “channel-centric” model, including bringing more channel-focused people on board.
FrontRange has 57 partners in the UK, including large organisations like Softcat, SCC, Computacenter and Trustmarque. However, McEwan says: “We’re not looking to increase [the number of] partners that much. We’re looking to develop and grow the existing ecosystem and invest in partners.”
65 percent of FrontRange’s revenues in EMEA come from its indirect channel, and McEwan says he would like to see this rise to around 70 percent.
“Like all vendors, we’re looking at our channel base closely – box shifters are not the future. [We want] partners that deliver value to the end user. We won’t throw our hat into the ring with anybody,” says Fisher.
The vendor says it is looking to recruit five – 10 new partners, and that “20 percent of existing partners may fall by the wayside,” according to McEwan, who admits that “not all partners are happy with the way the programme is moving forward.”
He says: “Not everyone in the channel model is embracing change. But those who embrace it and go with us... we will grow their business as our business grows.”
