Novell has appointed Unihold Business Solutions as a Business Expert partner to take its solutions and Corporate License Agreements to the regional market. The appointment is an endorsement of both Novell`s two-tier channel partner programme and Unihold`s drive to provide complete business systems and solutions.
Sophisticated Novell products are hitting the market fast and furious, specifically in the eBusiness arena. This growth is urging the network company to maintain the pace of its channel strategy rollout. In line with the drive, Novell has appointed its seventh Cape-based Business Expert to supply and integrate its solutions - business solution specialist, Unihold Business Solutions.
In a perfectly synergistic relationship, Unihold stands to gain the missing component of its product set and offer its clients a full compliment of solutions. Unihold already boasts Lotus, Microsoft and Unix offerings and Novell is set to complete the service offering. Moreover, the Novell partnership firms the group`s ability to provide point and end to end solutions.
"Providing Novell solutions is a logical progression for Unihold with its current Unix and Lotus product set. We are now in a position to offer clients solutions across all platforms," says Brian Eagar, Unihold regional director. "In the Western Cape, Novell is widely adopted by the SME and quasi government market, which represents huge opportunity. Although there are several other Business Experts in the regional market, we feel that Unihold is uniquely positioned to take Novell solutions and integration further."
"We see Unihold playing in a unique part of the market and an attractive one for us - Unihold is a very strong solution providing business, some distance removed from a simple shrink-wrapped product solution. The company also has the necessary skills and a work ethic we admire," comments Novell regional manager in the Cape, Marius Agenbag. "The appointment of Unihold fits into our larger Cape strategy, which involves growing the business beyond the current customer base through different technology offerings - we would like to grow outside of the firewall, a market we have not traditionally been associated with."
The Novell channel strategy divides its resellers into two categories: Business Partners and Business Experts, both falling under its two distributors, LAN Design and Workgroup Technologies. Novell Business Experts are exclusive in terms of skills and responsibilities and are thus entitled to sell Corporate Licensing Agreements. Consequently the Business Expert is selected on the basis of strict criteria measured on technical ability and sales experience.
Acquiring Novell Business Expert status entitles a channel partner to even more benefits including monthly software updates, exam vouchers, a full monthly support connection and the use of Novell offices to conduct client presentations.
Unihold more than qualifies for the title of Business Expert and has readied a dedicated Novell team to service the industry. In the last year since Michael Struthers` appointment as Group MD, a single-minded strategy has seen the entire team `buy in` to one common vision in the form of a go-to-market model, which drives the business and drives the corporate culture.
During the group`s one year accreditation period, Unihold will roll out a strategy to build awareness about its operation within the Novell group, further its Novell technical expertise, work closely with Novell to target corporates and focus on Novell`s security and eBusiness products.
In a two-year strategy, Unihold plans to aggressively grow its Novell customer base and build on eCommerce opportunities, affirms Wayne Crocker, Unihold Enterprise and Client Services (ECS) sales manager. In the longer term, Unihold will adopt a three-pronged strategy around transactional processing, convergence and facilitating eBusiness.
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