VMware announced strategic enhancements to its channel partner programs. The enhancements build on initiatives announced in February 2008 to enhance the VMware VIP Partner Program, helping VMware’s more than 13,000 partners around the world that resell VMware virtualization solutions by accelerating partners’ expertise, profitability and opportunity in VMware virtualization.

New program enhancements include:

• Expansion of the VMware Authorized Consultant Program, which will provide partners with the expertise they need to build a profitable services business based on VMware virtualization solutions
• A new VMware Alliance Affiliate Initiative that provides partners the opportunity to accelerate profitability through joint solution selling with VMware’s technology alliance partners
• New programs designed to capitalize on the market opportunity of VMware virtualization

“These new benefits take the value proposition of VMware virtualization to new levels,” said Steve Houck, vice president of worldwide channels at VMware. “We continue to enable our business partners to build VMware virtualization practices that are profitable, offer customers advanced training for sophisticated VMware deployments, and deliver increased opportunity. VMware’s business partners are poised to lead the way for new and existing customers of all sizes in the rapidly growing virtualization market.”

Accelerating Partner Expertise
VMware continues to develop its training and education programs to offer partners exceptional knowledge for building and maintaining successful virtualization practices:

• The enhanced VMware Authorized Consultant Program enables VMware to better offer its channel partners the resources necessary to build and expand their VMware services practices. New features include access to important tools and resources, such as the VMware Service Acceleration kits—which help partners fine-tune their services offerings for chargeback, configuration management and FDA compliance—as well as technical training that helps partners develop robust services offerings. The program will also provide partners with access to the VMware Authorized Training Center (VATC) program in North America during the second half of 2008. This enables VMware VIP partners that meet certain criteria to become a VATC to offer additional value to customers by providing extensive training options.
• VMware PartnerPath, the VMware partner training roadmap, has been further enhanced with a family of four new whiteboard training modules called SolutionTrack Whiteboarding. SolutionTrack Whiteboarding consists of flexible education options from instructor-led training classes to a selection of self-paced online courses. This training helps partners work with customers to develop a successful strategy for virtualizing their datacenters and desktops. For consultants, VMware is also introducing the Services Enablement Framework, a common and standard way of mapping services assets and tools to training and business development activities to improve partner engagement.
• VMware will be launching the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) program for VMware Infrastructure 3, which is an advanced certification program for VAC partners who are already VMware Certified Professionals (VCPs) and who want to take their VMware virtualization expertise to the most advanced level. This program is for architects who design VMware enterprise deployments. The program measures technical professionals’ abilities to assess their customers’ needs and teaches them to design VMware Infrastructure deployments for an enterprise datacenter as well as implement, test, document and present the design. This certification program provides the highest level of technical expertise in VMware virtualization.

Accelerating VMware Partner Profitability
VMware is committed to enabling partners to accelerate the profitability of selling VMware virtualization solutions through two new programs to be launched in the future:

• The new VMware Alliance Affiliate Initiative is a co-marketing initiative that can help accelerate partner profitability and reward joint solution selling. Technology alliance partners from a broad range of technology sectors—including storage, business continuity and disaster recovery, networking, and security—have created VMware-oriented virtualization training and tools for channel partners as well as financial incentives on the sale of their products combined with VMware solutions. Technology alliance partners helping to launch this initiative include CA, Dell, EMC, McAfee, NetApp, Riverbed and Vizioncore. These incentives help provide additional profitability opportunities for VMware channel partners and create complete solutions for customers.
• The VMware Going Green Program will aim to provide financial incentives for partners in North America who participate in the energy efficiency rebate programs offered by a number of utility companies nationwide.

Accelerating VMware Partner Opportunity
VMware helps partners develop new VMware customers and deliver additional value to current customers with two new programs:

• VMware partner demand generation campaigns give access to templated VMware campaigns that are packaged for partners. These campaigns will be designed to address the specific market areas of server consolidation and enterprise desktop. VMware is also offering marketing funds to partners wishing to roll out these campaigns.
• Reseller partners can now work with an independent marketing agency to develop VMware partner marketing campaigns. Partners get increased flexibility in how they promote their VMware virtualization solutions and events to help them build a healthy sales pipeline. Partners can still use VMware’s online marketing tool, VMware Campaign Builder, as well as work with a VMware distributor to execute marketing campaigns.

“We are delighted by the support VMware is providing in the VMware VIP program. The advantage+ changes and all the industry publicity around VMware has raised the level of awareness of all our sales reps to use the program to make sure they are rewarded for value selling. I’m doubling down on my investments in marketing, training and certification to build on this investment,” said Harry Zarek, president of Compugen. “The Alliance Affiliate initiative is very interesting. It shows that the VMware impact is not just about storage – VMware is aggregating leading partners across the industry. This is unique differentiation and I can see it helping my organization drive integrated solution selling and ultimately a more successful overall business.”

“The changes to the advantage+ program have provided greater incentive and motivation to our sales team,” said Myron Bari, president and chief executive officer of IPM. “We’ve been able to register more prospects and have more deals qualified as a result of the reduced minimum entry point, and we’ve increased our margins and profit by up to 10 percent.”

“Enrolling in the VMware Authorized Consultant program strengthened and formalized our relationship with VMware,” said Douglas Vercellotti, chief executive officer of LogicsOne. “Utilizing the program’s pre-packaged offerings was the catalyst to improve our time to market. This combination enabled us to remain flexible to our customers’ needs while maintaining a high level of quality. The program affords our consultants multiple training options and advanced certifications including the new VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) program.”