Veritas Enhances Channel Program Profitability, Simplicity As Channel Chief Spicek Says Mantra Is 'Return On Partnership'

Data protection and data management software developer Veritas this week enhanced its channel program with an eye on helping partners grow their business and profitability together with the vendor.

The changes come about a half-year after the arrival of channel veteran Barbara Spicek took over as the Mountain View, Calif.-based company's vice president of global channels and alliances.

Veritas' new program is aimed at increasing the simplicity, profitability and predictability for channel partners working with the company, Spicek told CRN.

[Related: Veritas CEO Bill Coleman Steps Down, Former Symantec Exec Takes Over]

"We're looking to attract new partners, but we also want to make the program more valuable for existing partners," she said.

Veritas is increasing its deal registration and back-end rebates, with improved bonuses for partners at higher levels in the program who have invested in the company, Spicek said.

For instance, the company is now offering a 6-point deal registration bonus on core data protection technology sales to partners at the Silver level, 8 points at the Gold level, and 15 points at the Platinum level. For sales of new technologies such as its Veritas 360 data management portfolio, the deal registration bonus jumps to 10 points for Gold-level partners and 15 points for Platinum-level partners.

Veritas is also simplifying what has been a very complex channel program, Spicek said. For instance, getting certifications can now be done via online classes, and partners can easily set up the certification classes based on needs. "And everything is at no cost," she said. "No more expensive certification programs."

The company also has finally made it easy to track certifications, deal registrations and other bonuses online, Spicek said.

"This is key," she said. "Partners in the past didn't know what they had gained, or what they had spent. We now track all this."

Also new are consistent programs and bonuses via Veritas' distribution partners as a way to improve how distributors bring services to solution providers, Spicek said.

"Our mantra is now, 'Return on partnership,'" she said. "We believe if we invest in our partners, they will invest in us."

Veritas is also actively recruiting channel partners with advanced cloud expertise, including those looking to use Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud as part of their data protection and data management services, Spicek said. The company is also increasing its recruitment of managed services partners to take advantage of its managed services offerings, she said.

Veritas is on the right track with its new channel program, said Bob Swanson, vice president of sales at dcVast, a Downers Grove, Ill.-based solution provider and Veritas channel partner.

As a hardware and software reseller, MSP and professional services organization, dcVast needs both product and the ability to take advantage of it with its services, Swanson told CRN.

"Veritas is a good partner," he said. "And it now has a strong channel program."

Veritas had gotten into the habit of changing its channel programs frequently, Swanson said.

"But the newest iteration looks good," he said. "There's a lot of opportunities here. And they are coming on the heels of Veritas' introduction of its 360 data management platform. With Veritas' product innovation and new channel program, we're bullish on the company. They understand how partners make money."