AMD revamps partner network with 40% boost in APN investment
AMD has announced a significant restructuring of its global channel partner programme, renaming it the AMD Partner Network (APN) and introducing expanded resources and incentives for its 520 partners across client, cloud, and server markets.
The updated APN represents a 40% year-over-year increase in channel investment from AMD, aimed at supporting partners with training, operational tools, and marketing support. The company has stated that this expanded investment reflects the crucial role of partners in its business strategy and in delivering CPU, GPU, and AI solutions to customers worldwide.
Programmeme structure
The renewed APN brings together a suite of tools and resources in a centralised repository. AMD will provide training, enablement, marketing, and operations information all in one location, alongside incentive monitoring and management dashboards. This approach is designed to simplify engagement for OEMs, value-added resellers, distributors, and solution providers, who can integrate these resources into their own workflows and communications.
The APN makes available resources such as the AMD Arena training programme, Meet the Experts webinars, regular partner newsletters, and an AMD seller toolkit. The toolkit features advanced resources intended to assist partners in understanding and communicating with a range of customer types throughout the evaluation and purchase process.
Membership tiers
Membership in the AMD Partner Network will be organised into multiple tiers. All members will receive basic resources and support, but Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers offer enhanced benefits, access to joint marketing opportunities, and exclusive involvement in AMD's strategic initiatives.
"Whether you build PCs, integrate servers, or advise mid-market businesses, you'll now find comprehensive resources centralized in a single repository, no guesswork required."
Partners are able to achieve APN Training Certification on-demand via curated learning paths covering several course curricula. Those who complete the required courses can obtain a certificate and badge to display on LinkedIn, demonstrating their expertise to industry peers and customers.
According to AMD, the goal is for every level of partner to benefit from "this expanded investment in our mutual success, designed to pay dividends no matter what role a partner plays within the AMD ecosystem."
Industry context
Over the past several years, AMD has seen rapid market share and revenue growth with the introduction of CPUs such as Ryzen, EPYC, and Threadripper. The APN aims to deepen the application of that momentum, providing partners with new capabilities to market and implement AMD products and platforms.
The structure of the APN draws on the broader movement in IT towards collaboration between hardware and software developers, as well as channel partners. The company referenced the evolution of IT ecosystems from vertically integrated models of the early computing market, through the standards-based approach of the 1990s, to the current landscape defined by co-development between software and hardware suppliers.
This shift, according to the company, delivers optimised applications for customers and ensures that operating systems can leverage the power-saving and performance features in modern hardware from the outset.
"The goal of the AMD Partner Network is to extend the advantages of co-development out of the realm of hardware and software and directly to the companies that align the advantages of AMD products with the needs of their customers, advancing the wider computing industry in the process. This program is more than just a set of benefits; it's a renewed promise to foster a more engaged, cooperative, and successful ecosystem."
Partner engagement
OEM partners within the APN will have the ability to adopt or adapt AMD's programme assets for their own messaging. Meanwhile, value-added resellers and distributors are expected to use their customer relationships and software solutions to deploy AMD hardware into a variety of business environments, from corporate networks to large-scale data centres.
The company describes the APN as a move to "better connect our partners with their commercial customers at every stage of the evaluation and purchase process," with the intention of making it easier for partners to articulate the value of AMD technologies to potential buyers.
With the launch of the restructured partner programme and increased channel investment, AMD continues its focus on collaborative sales and marketing, mirroring trends across the IT industry that increasingly emphasise co-development and joint go-to-market efforts between vendors and their ecosystem partners.
