That was the question Howard Lo, Director of Channel Marketing, asked over and over at XChange Solution Provider in Orlando, Florida last month. And over and over we heard the same answer, “Fibre Channel HBAs.” While of course, Emulex is still going strong in Fibre Channel, Howard took the opportunity to playfully admonish our new friends at XChange by exclaiming:

“No! Haven’t you heard? Emulex is a networking company!” while holding up a 10-Gig NIC display.

A New Partner Program For A New Kind Of Partner

This is the reason we launched a brand new partner program last month. We launched this new program to help us build strategic relationships with a whole new category of resellers. The new partners we’re connecting with as a result of this launch may not have thought we were relevant to their business before. They knew us as the enterprise storage company focused on Fibre Channel. But anyone who attended XChange Solution Provider last month knows now that Emulex is a networking company focused on 10-Gbit Ethernet NIC business.

Off To A Winning Start

So far it’s been an amazing first month. We’ve already certified over 100 Emulex Experts who have completed sales or technical tracks of our new Emulex Expert Training program. We have 175+ new program members and are actively equipping them with sales tools like our new iCompete mobile app, easy access to demo cards, training and of course, generous deal registration discounts SPIFs. On top of everything, our new program won CRN’s 5-Star distinction in their 2011 Partner Program Guide.

Entry Level Benefits That Make It Worth Your Time From Day One

Because we really wanted to get it right, we spent a lot of time with our ear to the ground before building our new program. One of the biggest problems partners report is that vendors will let you in the front door, and then leave you hanging. There are usually very few benefits for the lowest tier and it’s a steep climb to even reach the next level. Some of our direct competitors don’t even offer SPIFs to their entry-level tier. We’ve been offering discounts and SPIFs to our Authorized partners for some time, but we’ve decided to pile on even more benefits. In addition, we’ve created some very simple mechanisms by which partners can reach higher tiers or achieve our new distinction: Connect+.

Transcending Tiers – The New Connect+ Distinction

Another way we offer increased benefits and opportunity is through our new Connect+ distinction. We want qualified partners of any tier level who focus their business on selling value-added, end-to-end networking solutions to get a new kind of VIP treatment including deeper discounts, premier placement on our website and targeted support.

Have You Joined Yet?

We’re getting ready to launch some great incentives for completing trainings, participating in Project Registration and more. Be sure you’re on board as we continue to launch our new program features. We look forward to meeting you and growing together. And, if you have joined, we’d love to hear your feedback. What’s working? What do you want more of?

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