Saas ERP provider NetSuite has enhanced the company’s SP100 partner program, already designed to help MSPs and VARs make the move to a cloud business model, with a few new perks. The so-called “NetSuite SuiteStart Service” waives first-year program fees (a $5,000 value) for new partners, and offers free training and go-to-market support to solutions providers. For a cloud partner program that already promises VARs a 100% commission for first-year cloud customer revenues, those are impressive boosts.

NetSuite Channel Chief Craig West hinted the program enhancements were coming back in January 2011, during a TalkinCloud FastChat Video (left). In a follow-up phone call yesterday, West said the new program enhancements would knock down barriers — real or perceived — and accelerate VAR transitions from on-premise ERP to SaaS applications. Also, West confirmed that the NetSuite partner program enhancements are now available in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He expects all of the new program components — including a NetSuite global enablement team — to be fully humming along by Q2 2011.

The NetSuite SP100 partner program helped NetSuite to expand its partner program participation by 42 percent in 2010 vs. 2009, West said. The new NetSuite SuiteStart Service is specifically aimed at sweetening the pot for partners trying to move away from reselling on-premises solutions from competitors like Sage and Microsoft.

The NetSuite partner program has played a key role in NetSuite’s growth and financial performance. NetSuite, part of our Talkin’ Cloud Stock Index, has seen its shares climb from $12.11 to $29.32 over the past year. Still, NetSuite’s most recently financial forecast was a bit weaker than expected, triggering some short-term concern on Wall Street.

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