StorageTek launches fresh channel program

StorageTek Australia and New Zealand launched a formal channel program in an effort to pump its indirect business to at least 50 percent of total sales by the end of the year.

StorageTek Australia and New Zealand launched a formal channel program in an effort to pump its indirect business to at least 50 percent of total sales by the end of the year.

The global program -- dubbed Total Channel Program -- has taken almost three years to filter down to the local operation. Under the program partners are grouped into Alliance, Premier and Premier Plus categories.

Alliance partners are required to do up to $500,000 in StorageTek sales per annum, Premier partners need to do $1 million and Premier Plus partners $3 million per annum. Plus partners can sell OEM and StorageTek-branded equipment. StorageTek’s OEM partners include Sun Microsystems, Unisys, SGI and NCR.

The company established a commercial, channels and OEM group last October and followed up with new “channel friendly” products such as its SL500 automated tape library and a range of disk products for its partners hence the requirement to formalise its channel program here, said Sam Srinivsan, channels manager at StorageTek.

"Up until last year, we didn’t have a bunch of channel-friendly products,” he said, adding that the company was looking to increase its share of business in the channel space. In Australia and New Zealand, around 30 percent of all sales are delivered through channel partners, he said.

The company distributes through ACA Pacific and has eight staff here dedicated to marketing this program. Datastor distributes StorageTek gear in New Zealand.

Sales and pre-sales certification courses are now being held, said Srinivsan.

Training, marketing materials, qualified lead programs, rebates and other incentives are being offered as part of the program.