Brocade unveils new partner programme

Brocade has adopted a new global partner channel programme that encompasses both storage and networking partners, following last year’s acquisition of IP / LAN player Foundry Networks.
Brocade, says however, that it will be selective in the partners it sings up to prevent over-distribution – a problem particularly in the networking channel.
“We want to bring back into the programme, and the IP world in general, is profitability and qualitative approaches,” Barbara Spicek VP of Worldwide Channels at Brocade told Channel Pro.
“The vast majority [of partners] are really tired of the over-distribution of the other vendors. We want to stay selective. We will be running a smaller programme with a limited number of distributors and resellers. By that, we can automatically guarantee that the relationship will be profitable for them.”
Spicek says the firm is looking for no more than 10-12 Elite and Premier partners in the UK.
The Brocade Alliance Partner Network consists of four partnership tiers: distributor, elite, premier, and select, and resellers will benefit from sales, marketing and technical support based on their level.
“We are adding a lot of value components – we are adding free certification to certain levels, authorisation on professional services, we are bringing in a lot of value components that will make the partnership for them profitable,” says Spicek.
Spicek says that the vendor hasn’t finalised its UK distribution yet. Brocade works with Bell Micro and Avnet on the SAN side of the business, and has yet to publicly name any distributors for the IP side. She did state, however, they Brocade is looking for no more than two distributors for each major European country in each side of the business.