Registered Partners

As we’re quickly approaching our PartnerDirect one year anniversary, Chris Gonsalves, editor at eWeek, interviewed our executive team last week, including Michael Dell. eWeek concluded what the channel team here at Dell already knows, that from Michael Dell on down, we’re committed to channel, there’s no going back, and that our direct-only past is behind us.

Moving forward, Greg Davis stated that Dell is making three commitments in our channel efforts.

1) Recruit as many resellers as possible to fill in the partner ranks.

2) By year’s end, PartnerDirect will add certifications to augment the enterprise architecture and managed services currently offered. Davis stated, “We don't need 10,000 resellers. We need the partners that can best work with what we offer to help drive success for everyone involved.”

3) Place an emphasis on channel and increase this business faster than the rest of Dell’s organization.

Furthering the discussion, Donna Troy added, "A lot of interesting things are going to happen with VARs around services. We're developing everything to be available as a service to be delivered through the partners."

eWeek captures the partner perceptions that Dell is up against in the voice of Oscar “Tim” Hebert, CEO of Atrion, a solutions and managed service provider (MSP). Hebert joined us in our first-ever Partner Advisory Council (PAC) meeting back in June and was impressed by Dell’s willingness to listen.

While we’ve captured his business, he’s still a bit cautious about Dell’s growing pains of implementing a new channel program. Hebert said he looks forward to his future relationship with Dell, one that brings strategic direction back to him on how to grow his business. He concludes that PartnerDirect has the opportunity to showcase its ability by finding its true influencers (top 400-500 partners) and building a channel program to support those folks.

What do you think of Dell’s progress so far in channel? Is it possible to have a channel program for all partners beyond the top influencers? Let us hear your thoughts.

With Stuart Crawford of Calgary's respected IT Matters leading the way, Greg Davis and Heather Harrison, Regional Sales Manager, talk PartnerDirect updates, future state, what’s working and how we’re listening to feedback.

Greg discusses the implementation of compensation neutral, improving and growing our partner base around the globe and several ways we’re looking to add value to our partner relationships. The latest action Greg & team are moving towards is adding a partner locator on the PartnerDirect portal. This partner network would identify skills and make partner info readily available to each other, Dell’s global sales team and Dell.com customers looking for specialized expertise.

The interview lasts an hour and is a good overview to Dell’s commitment to the channel and building better relationships with our Partners. Tell us what you think about Greg’s comments on PartnerDirect and being successful in today’s marketplace.

 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smb/2008/07/25/Partnering-with-DELL

In this latest vlog, Donna Troy, VP & GM of the Corporate Accounts, interviews Greg Davis, VP & GM of Americas Channel Group, on everything from pricing to conflict to EqualLogic. You’ll hear first-hand how Dell’s direct and channel teams are engaging for success.

As always, your comments are welcome!

When Greg Davis, Vice President & General Manager, spoke with CRN last week, he gave the official update of our progress in the channel and hinted at the work that's still to come. We're particularly proud that after only 9 months, our commitment to the channel is making a real impact.

Bloggers like Al Senia at IT Channel Planet have taken notice. Last week, Senia blogged about Dell's momentum in building a robust partner base and how we are narrowing the gap with HP. While channel loyalty is still a point of contention, Senia pointed out that the channel is the key to market dominance and that Dell is “stepping up its channel game.”

The momentum of Dell’s Channel program was also reinforced in a recent article on NewsFactor.com. There, industry analysts commented on Dell's 21.9 percent increase in global PC shipments in the second quarter. Gartner attributed this growth to our expansion into retail and other indirect channels. Plus, Loren Loverde of IDC’s PC Tracker stated, “Dell's aggressive channel partner program and retail expansion should help drive volume going forward.”

Even with all this good news, I still agree with The VAR Guy’s message to Dell to not dwell on HP. From time to time, we have to acknowledge our competition. But overall, our strategies are our own. That's why our team and this blog will stay focused on Dell’s PartnerDirect program and our mission at hand.

Dear Dell Partner,

I'd like to invite you to take part in our Dell Channel Blog. The blog is designed to be an open forum for the greater PartnerDirect community. That's why at anytime, you're welcome to submit a guest post.

By creating a guest post on the Dell Channel blog, you can:

· Share your perspectives with other partners, vendors, Dell Channel team members, industry analysts and the public at large.

· Offer expert advice on Dell's latest products, technologies and services.

· Promote your case studies that might benefit the PartnerDirect community.

· Spark a discussion on almost any topic, from general best practices to specific trends.

· Help shape the future of the PartnerDirect program.

Posts should be approximately 150-250 words, and submitted to Amie_Paxton@Dell.com. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about blogging.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation,

Amie Paxton

Dell Channel Community Manager