Programs

Reimagining Partnership with VMware Partner Connect

VMware is excited to announce a transformation of our partner business, with the VMware Partner Connect program. Where VMware and our partners are today, and what our customers need to succeed, is very different from where we were 20 years ago. Traditional archetypes of how vendors have gone to market across Route-to-Market based programs no longer suits the world where partners are helping customers drive complex transformations.

With this in mind, VMware set out to completely reimagine the way we do business with and for our partners. Partner Connect is the outcome of collaboration and validation with partners to develop and deliver a program experience that recognizes and rewards partners based on how you want to do business.

VMware Partner Connect is a divergence from our previous VMware Partner Network program, delivering simplicity, choice, and innovation. Partner Connect is one consistent program experience, built to give you greater flexibility and choice as you align your business models to meet customers’ most pressing needs.

A year after joining VMware, Jenni Flinders, VP Worldwide Channels unveiled Partner Connect at Partner Leadership Summit 2019. Hear from her in the video below:

“Over the last year, I’ve challenged my team to transform our business – to make doing business with us easier and more valuable for you. This new program reimagines our partnership with you, to give clearer paths to profitability and success”

Jenni Flinders, VP Worldwide Channels, VMware

 

 

 

If you are doing business with VMware as a Solution Provider, Managed Service Provider, Cloud Provider, Corporate Reseller, Professional Services Partner, Authorized Distributor or Aggregator you will transition to the Partner Connect program at launch.  We will also work with our SISO, OEM, and TAP partner community to determine a smooth pathway to future alignment.

Solution and Master Services Competencies

Partner Connect expands our commitment to rewarding partners who invest in their VMware capabilities. Partners will be rewarded as they invest in and achieve Solution and Master Services Competencies, aligned to VMware’s key strategic IT priorities, and contribute to customer success and achievement of business outcomes. VMware continues to invest in Solution Competencies to help you grow capabilities, including the recent introduction of the VMware PKS Solution Competency.

VMware announced a new Master Services Competency (MSC) for VMware Cloud on AWS,  joining the four other Master Services Competencies currently offered by VMware to help partners develop capabilities to deliver professional services. This new MSC is a major step towards delivering on our “partner-first” deployment and consumption services model.

VMware Partner Connect Rewards and Recognition

VMware Partner Connect will offer three reward tiers: Partner, Advanced Partner, and Principal Partner. Principal Partners will be the most capable partners to help customers identify and implement the ideal VMware solutions. As partners achieve Principal status they will earn comprehensive rewards including deployment and consumption incentives. Being a Principal Partner identifies you as the go-to partner for VMware as we drive joint business planning and develop co-selling opportunities. Only the Principal Partner tier will be recognized and badged externally.

VMware is committed to supporting partners in deepening their capabilities as they progress towards Principal status. All partners will be expected to demonstrate basic capabilities through achievement of solution competencies. All partners will receive deal registration benefits, and as they expand their level of capability and meet sales and/or consumption thresholds, they will earn greater rewards including development funds and front and backend margin opportunities.

Opportunities and Incentives in Advanced VMware Technologies

At Partner Leadership Summit 2019, VMware made announcements to support and reward partners as they continue to invest in advanced VMware practices.

To help ignite opportunities for hyperconverged infrastructure, VMware is now offering a customer promotion available only through partners. For a limited time, customers who have not yet deployed vSAN in their environments can purchase three nodes of vSAN licenses for the price of two. VMware is also expanding the incentive for partners who sell VMware HCI/vSAN Solutions – with a new HCI/vSAN Partner Sales Incentive available in Q2FY20. Details are available on the Incentives Sales Rewards page on Partner Central.

Additionally, longtime VMware partner HPE is making it easy for customers who want to build their own hybrid cloud with a new HPE vSAN ReadyNode. This easy-to-order solution is built on the HPE ProLiant DL380 and certified under the VMware vSAN all flash 6 specification. VMware vSAN ReadyNodes are validated server configurations in a tested, certified hardware form factor for vSAN deployments. Read more about the HPE announcement.

Learn More About Recent VMware Partner Announcements

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