Symantec Adds Competencies to Reworked Partner Program

Symantec (SYMC) has added a competency component to its recently reworked channel partner program, providing a path and rewarding partners for building the “capabilities required to sell and implement” its security solutions, said Garrett Jones, Symantec Global Channel Operations vice president, in a blog post.

Last November, Symantec began enacting the Symantec 4.0 reconfigured program, aiming at being more customer-focused and performance-based to reward its most committed partners. In North America, Symantec is compensating its field salespeople for sales with and through channel partners, offering more enablement resources with demo equipment, event sponsorships and training, and invested heavily in an inside sales organization to drive joint pipeline activities and fuel growth.

Now, coming off its Partner Engage event in Budapest, the vendor has added Symantec Competencies, a platform within its partner program that enables channel members to “deliver better customer experience through deeper expertise in areas of focus that are aligned to our solutions,” Jones wrote.

The edge for partners obtaining competencies, Jones said, resides not only in gaining new sales and installation capabilities for Symantec solutions, but also eligibility for heightened program benefits and rewards.

“As partners meet certain performance standards, the benefits increase, and partners will earn very compelling rewards for growing their business and delivering exceptional value to customers,” he wrote, without providing any details. “The competencies are the foundation of the program, and they underpin the program design principles of being customer-focused, performance-based and more rewarding for our most committed partners.”

Earlier changes to Symantec’s partner program include more financial incentives for partners, particularly for top performing ones; an upgraded deal registration program; a performance rebate for growth; more market development funds; access to market intelligence previously reserved for inside business planning; and improved consulting and technical support for partners.

Jones said Symantec has built in a transition period for partners to move to the new model that maintains current membership status and associated benefits.

“We built this program by collaborating with partners and adjusting our approach based on the feedback along the way,” he said. “Our approach will continue to be iterative and evolve to ensure the program provides value and meets the needs and expectations of our partners.”