Symantec boosts partner programme

By Staff Writer for Symantec

Johannesburg, 21 Sep 2009

Security firm Symantec is boosting its partner programme to improve the profitability generated by its channel partners in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Symantec is rewarding its channel partners for developing skills-based selling and maximising new business opportunities.

Gordon Love, regional director for Africa at Symantec, says: “We recognise that partners need to know the margin they make on new business opportunities with Symantec. This enhancement to our programme provides a greater focus on helping to increase profitability on a per-deal basis and reduced emphasis on quarterly volume goals.”

According to Love, Symantec is evolving its channel programmes in response to market research and to maintain the security giant's competitive position. He adds that programme changes have been designed to provide more profitability and more predictability to its channel partners.

Reaping rewards

According to Symantec, the new Opportunity Registration Programme allows platinum, gold and silver corporate partners to register business opportunities to guarantee exclusivity and support from Symantec.

Partners taking part in the programme will be rewarded with up to 33% more rebate on new business, more predictability on the rebates paid by Symantec, and in turn, better cash flow. The rebate is earned per transaction and paid within 30 days.

This means, effective from last week, Symantec's platinum, gold and silver corporate partners are eligible for an increased rebate for driving new business. Platinum partners will receive 14% partner rebates from the Opportunity Registration Programme (non-named accounts), where previously they were entitled to 11%. Gold partners will receive 12%, up from 9%, and silver partners 5%, up from 4%.

Love adds that platinum partners will also have access to a new business development fund. This enables them to earn an additional 3% funding based on the value of closed Opportunity Registration transactions during the preceding quarter, to spend on Symantec's fee-based, instructor-led trainingand funded heads to help grow their business.