14 January 2010

Polycom has rolled out a new partner program that the company hopes will elevate partner commitment and drive partners to attain specializations in skills in areas such as unified communications (UC) and IP-based video solutions.

The new Polycom Choice Partner Program represents one of three distinct channel tracks that the videoconferencing and UC company maintains, this one aimed at regional solution providers and VARs, VADs, DMRs and retail channels, according to Deandra Cassidy, senior manager of global channel market and programs at Polycom.

This refresh marks the first time in six years that this part of the overall channel program has been updated. The other two program tracks, which continue to exist unchanged, are the Alliance Program for global systems integrators, global solution providers and OEMs, and the ARENA program for technology partners and application providers.

Cassidy characterized the Choice Partner Program as “offer-based,” comprising a number of requirements that map to rewards across three member tiers: registered, gold and platinum. The latter two tiers are new to Polycom's channel strategy, and the primary focus of the new program is the push to channel specialization and skills competency.

“We have evolved and our market evolved, so we feel it's the right time to intro new programs,” Cassidy said. “We are asking our partners to specialize so that they can help customers re-engineer their business processes and transform their company with competitive advantage in this new market.”

Both Cassidy and Maurizio Capuzzo, vice president of global channel marketing at Polycom, acknowledged that the new program mandates are designed to get partners up to speed to sell the often complex and sophisticated UC solutions.

Polycom isn’t alone in experiencing a lack of channel competency in this area. Cisco has ramped up its partner training—both sales and technical—and has taken other measures to combat its partners' difficulty in effectively selling UC solutions.

UC and all its elements are a high-growth market, especially as companies pull back on business travel in favor of telepresence and other virtual forms of collaboration. Gartner, for example, says video telepresence is expected to replace 2.1 million airline seats by 2012. The opportunity to design and implement UC solutions is going to open a lot of doors for solution providers that are appropriately skilled, Capuzzo said.

“The UC market is growing at more than double-digit growth year over year,” Capuzzo said. “That is excellent news for partners.”

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