SAS SA deploys global reseller programme

SAS Institute South Africa has announced the local launch of its global reseller programme and partner initiatives, emphasising its commitment to growing business in SA.

In addition to expanding its channel partner programme internationally for value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators and independent software vendors interested in selling SAS software, the company has also introduced new product bundles for channel partners that focus on medium-sized businesses.

A new online Demo Centre will also further support SAS partners and resellers during the sales cycle.

"We are delighted to announce that we are bringing the global reseller programme to South Africa. SAS initially launched its reseller programme in the US last year and has made significant progress since inception," says Murray de Villiers, Manager - Africa Middle East Regional Alliances at SAS Institute South Africa. "In this time the company has made significant investments into the development of the channel, as well as the development of programmes and tools to assist the channel in taking our software to market."

According to Dr James H Goodnight, CEO of SAS: "Our partnerships have a big impact on our business. We value the knowledge, domain expertise and service they deliver to customers. We've had positive results, with new resellers and new customers, since unveiling the programme."

With 13 countries kicking off at the end of May after the SAS Forum International, held in Sweden, participants in the first phase of this launch include Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Japan, China, Australia and India.

SAS has signed more than 60 top-level industry VARs in the Americas - a rapidly increasing number. Internationally, more than a dozen SAS resellers have signed on, among them Syncer and Odesys (France), Morse (UK), Prowerks (Canada), BPS and Octoplus (South Africa), and DiSo (Switzerland). SAS projects more than 150 resellers worldwide by year-end.

After launching its reseller programme in the Americas last year to drive BI sales opportunities, specifically for businesses with revenue of $1 billion US or less, SAS has taken further steps to address the mid-tier business space with specially priced bundles based on the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform. Nine different bundles, customised specifically for the mid-size business, include SAS data integration, business intelligence and analytics software. "The new pricing bundles offer mid-market organisations the full breadth of SAS analytics capabilities to a wider market. The SAS reseller programme is already adding value to our marketing and sales strategy and management," adds de Villiers.

Programme features at a glance:

* Multiple levels of compensation;
* The ability to resell renewals;
* Rapid-track, no-cost training;
* Marketing support;
* Inside sales support;
* Pre-sales technical support; and
* Post-sales education and technical support.

"As SAS resellers, our global channel partners can offer their customers the most comprehensive business intelligence software on the market, including a 'one stop shop' for software and services," said Miles Mahoney, Vice-President of SAS' Global Alliances and Channels Group.

"We are ensuring that each country has the necessary internal resources and support to help their resellers be successful. This includes appropriately-priced products as well as field marketing, pre and post-sales, service and engineering to support the entire product life cycle management for the mid-size market."

SAS is further supporting partners with a new Partner Demo Centre, an on-demand hardware and software environment to showcase SAS via the Internet. Available in June, the Demo Centre, run by the SAS Enterprise Excellence Centre (EEC), offers sales support by proving SAS' use in enterprise settings. SAS partners can request an SAS software demonstration when they need to demo an enterprise-class, fault-tolerant environment that extends beyond the laptop.

SAS' global reseller programme will continue to emphasise the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform, which includes data integration, intelligence storage, business intelligence and analytics. In addition to establishing a country channel manager, each country will leverage SAS' global partner development team, internal channel sales teams and system engineers, as well as needed local partner and programme resources.

More information about SAS' partner programmes can be found at http://www.sas.com/partners/overview/index.html.