Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL), The Enterprise Mobility Company, today announced its next generation Symbol PartnerSelect Program, providing additional benefits to channel partners and a more simplified way to do business with Symbol. Additions to the Symbol PartnerSelect Program for 2005 include expanded product access for Business Partners, RFID certification, a new marketing development funds (MDF) program and a more streamlined and balanced program structure.
Launched in May 2003, the Symbol PartnerSelect Program was designed to support the needs of various channel business models, reward partners for both their success and their investment in their Symbol relationship, and provide the tools that partners need to grow their business. Symbol has also made significant investments in sales training programs for high-touch channel account managers in becoming true trusted advisors and
aiding partners in providing end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions to customers needing to improve business efficiencies and gain a competitive advantage. Demonstrating the traction of the PartnerSelect program, Symbol exited the first quarter of 2005 with 68 percent of product bookings coming from channel partners, compared to the end of 2002, when partners generated 46 percent of bookings.
Last year, we successfully rolled out the PartnerSelect Program to all regional markets, ensuring a consistent global infrastructure to support our partners worldwide and are now integrating our partners feedback on how to further improve the program, said Jan Burton, Symbol vice president of worldwide channel sales. The PartnerSelect Program is a cornerstone in the execution of Symbols channel-centric go-to-market strategy and we will continue to develop channel competency to ensure customer satisfaction and successful solutions deployment, while making it easier for our partners to do business with us.
New PartnerSelect Benefits
Symbol now offers enhanced sales, marketing, and technical enablement benefits to help PartnerSelect members meet their revenue and profitability goals. Benefits include an improved system to deliver qualified leads to program members, business development tools and resources, tools for demand generation and programs that give PartnerSelect members early access to new products for solution development, testing and demos.
Symbol is also introducing a new, more flexible MDF program, providing Business Partners and Solution Partners the funds needed to build new Symbol business opportunities. In addition, PartnerSelect members will now be able to capitalize on the full spectrum of enterprise mobility market opportunities with new radio frequency identification (RFID) and mobility software certifications.
According to Gartner Research Vice President Michael Haines, among the many channel program best practices that IT vendors should focus on for improvements in partner productivity are simplification of program elements (ease of doing business) and enhancement of joint sales and marketing.
Symbols Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner Program also goes into effect today, and will enable qualified software application developers to leverage technical, sales and marketing enablement programs to increase both revenue and profitability. By enhancing Symbols channel ecosystem, ISVs can develop mutually beneficial partnerships with Symbols sales force and channel partners to provide complete enterprise mobility solutions for customers and prospects.
Streamlined Program and Simplified Discount Structure
Enhancements to the PartnerSelect Program for 2005 include a more streamlined and balanced program structure that will help channel members more easily understand and take advantage of program benefits and revenue opportunities as they advance through the program. Partners who wish to make a higher level of commitment to Symbol must meet the business, certification, joint go-to-market and customer services support commitments required by the two Partner tracks - the Business Partner Track and the Solution Partner Track. Resellers will continue to gain access to the program and the majority of Symbols products via membership into the Authorized Reseller level.
Symbol will also introduce a new partner discount model, designed to make pricing easier to understand and ultimately improve end-user pricing. The simplification of Symbols discount schedules, combined with the aggressive reduction in product SKUs, will make it easier for partners to do business with Symbol.
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