OpenText opens up marketing funds for partners

OpenText is opening its purse to provide marketing development funds for partners as the vendor ups its channel investment to capitalise on 'the digital world'.

The enterprise information management vendor has launched a 'transformed' global partner program, which it says is aimed at helping partners to simplify, transform and accelerate the delivery of solutions, services and support to customers.

OpenText says the program includes a number of significant investments, including the MDF fund, loyalty and referral programs.

The MDF program will enable partners to receive 1:1 matching for partner marketing expenditures on approved business plans to extend the potential reach of partners' marketing activity around OpenText campaigns.

Mark Barrenechea, OpenText chief executive, says the program represents 'a significant investment' in OpenText's partner community.

"As customers move into the digital world, they are looking for partners who can help them transform their business," Barrenechea says.

"We view our partners as an extension of our global sales force, connecting customers with OpenText solutions. By building deeper relationships between OpenText and our value-added partners, we will ensure customers have access to the right solutions, consultancy and support," he says.

"The new global partner program will redefine OpenText's go-to-market model in the age of digital, enabling scale, global consistency and added value to the key enabling digital solutions of information management, business networks and analytics," the company says.

The new program will see partners segregated into distinct programs depending on whether they are a resellers, service provider or technology partner – a category that includes software and hardware vendors.

Each program includes three new tiers – gold, silver and platinum – with partners moving through the tiers on achievement of pre-defined targets and receiving enhanced commercial benefits and program rewards as they progress.

As well as the freeing up of marketing development funds, OpenText is offering two other new incentive programs. A partner loyalty program will see partners earning points for completing 'defined activities during a given time period'. The points are redeemable against sales enablement, events, training, accreditation and other OpenText services.

The OpenText referral program will see partners receiving payment for introducing net-new customers and/or opportunities to OpenText.