Extreme Updates Partner Program

Christopher Rajiah, director of North American Channels for Santa Clara, Calif.-based Extreme, said chief among the program updates is the addition of a new top tier level, the Diamond Elite partner level, which will offer heightened rewards and incentives to resellers who demonstrate commitment and deliver volume results. Diamond Elite partners, Rajiah said, will earn more incentives than they would at the Platinum, Gold or Silver levels.

The Diamond tier will include benefits such as market development funds, loyalty rebates and rewards for lead generation. Diamond partners will be required to hold sales and post-sales certifications and will be required to continue education on a quarterly basis. The goal, Rajiah said, is to have Diamond partners become self-sufficient in their services capabilities. Diamond partners will also be required to maintain $4 million in annual revenue, double the roughly $2 million required of a Platinum partner.

"The goal we had was to enhance our commitment and investment to the channel community," Rajiah said. But the Diamond tier won't be the only one that benefits from the program updates, Rajiah said.

Platinum, Gold and Silver partners will also receive enhanced benefits from market development funds, loyalty rebates and rewards for lead generation. Rajiah said Extreme currently does roughly 93 percent of its worldwide business through the channel and more than 80 percent of its North American business is through the channel. Extreme does not disclose its number of active partners.

Along with launching a new partner level, Extreme will also soon offer incentives to partners who succeed in select vertical markets, such as education, health care and state and local government. And, Rajiah said, with the addition of Extreme's new bounty program, partners receive additional discounts for qualified, high revenue, unassisted deals.

Lastly, Extreme will launch a loyalty rebate program to give partners additional incentives for achieving required revenue, certification and training credits. While Rajiah would not disclose the rebate amounts each partner level can receive, he said it will be on a rising grade basis.

"We feel strongly that these items will attract top partners," he said, adding that they will also award partners that are part of Extreme's existing program. "We're offering true, meaningful benefits. At the end of the day, we feel this is a win-win situation for Extreme and our channel partners."

In a statement, Jeff Gardner, CEO of Exeter, R.I.-based solution provider Carousel Industries, said the planned enhancements will offer a better reward for loyal and committed partners.

"These enhancements will help us grow and further demonstrate our expertise with the strongest set of network and convergence technologies available," he said.