Channel Program Changes: ShoreTel, Avaya, 8×8, More

Thanksgiving has come and gone; now the bulk of the holiday season is in our midst.

November gave us a number of new and updated channel programs from companies you know — and those you should.

Our monthly gallery of channel changes includes new relationships for 8×8; expanded rewards from Avaya; new power in the hands of ShoreTel partners; and a trio of new programs from AWS.

Click through our gallery to see what you might’ve missed.

Missed October’s big channel changes? Find those here.

Follow executive editor @Craig_Galbraith on Twitter.

8×8, the unified-communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) provider, expanded its international channel program in multiple ways.

The company announced a new partner portal, educational and certification opportunities and several new partners — including master agent Telarus. In an effort to follow the industry shift from on-premises to the cloud, the “Channel 2.0″ program adds a new portal that 8×8 says will give partners better automation and self-service. The PartnerConnect portal helps partners with sales, marketing and deal-registration opportunities.

Check out the partners 8×8 has already signed.

Avaya unveiled a new partner program with expanded rewards, streamlined requirements and alignment to digital business needs.

Avaya Edge aims to help partners make money and ensure they have the “expertise required to provide the transformative solutions customers need in the digital marketplace.” The new program is now in effect, and existing authorized partners are evaluated under both the previous and new programs, and awarded at the higher level for the first six months.

This news came out shortly before rumors circulated about the company mulling the sale of its contact-center business and possible bankruptcy.

Read more about the new partner program.

ShoreTel is offering a new program that allows partners to take ownership of the installation process for Connect CLOUD customers.

PartnerStart allows the partner to become the single point of contact for customer installations, and to remain the central point of contact for the customer. The program was developed with input from ShoreTel partners, “who are always looking for ways to deliver a great experience for customers and differentiate their services.”

PartnerStart is an additional offering within the company’s existing Champion Partner Program. Previously, the company would handle the entire Connect CLOUD implementation process.

Learn more here. Then check out our highlights and recap from the ShoreTelOne Global Partner Conference.

Amazon Web Services announced three new partner programs.

In an effort to help distinguish partners for their specific abilities, the cloud giant unveiled the AWS Service Delivery Program, the APN Public Sector Partner Program and the VMware Cloud on AWS Partner Program. The company also announced two new AWS competencies for financial services and the Internet of Things. The aforementioned competencies and programs fall under the AWS Partner Network (APN).

AWS also announced the launch of its Partner Solutions Finder, a website for end users to seek out APN partners.

Amazon made the announcements at its AWS re:Invent conference.

Get the full story here.

cPacket Networks targeted resellers, SIs and MSPs with a new partner program, offering resources to help drive sales and deliver value to customers.

The cChannel program has three tiers: Affiliate, for partners interested in selling cPacket offerings, but not ready to make training and product commitments to the company; Silver, for partners that feel their practice will have success with the cPacket offering and are willing to make a baseline commitment in return for additional margin; and Gold, for partners that are having success growing their cPacket business. Gold partners make larger investments in sales and technical training and, as a result, receive added incentives.

Read more about cPacket’s program.

Now that SonicWall is independent, with the completion of the acquisition of Dell Software Group by private equity firm Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, the channel-led company hopes to attract both old and new partners to the new SonicWall SecureFirst partner program, also launched.

Read more about how SonicWall will approach the channel.

Extreme Networks gave its partners new incentives and an expanded services portfolio.

The networking company announced several new enhancements to its channel program, including new categories for cloud specialization and cloud managed services, and new offerings that come from Extreme’s acquisition of Zebra Technologies’ WLAN unit. All Extreme partners are eligible to join the cloud specialization program, which gives incentives to those that build their knowledge and experience in cloud computing.

Learn more details about the channel program changes for Extreme.

Snowflake Computing launched its first official partner program to help customers find qualified partners that can work with them to accelerate and maximize the benefits of the company’s technology.

The Snowflake Solution Partner Program includes “expertise in strategies, architectures, design principles and best practices” in big data and analytics to ensure customers can deploy Snowflake to help solve their data-analytics challenges, according to the company.

Read what Jon Bock, Snowflake’s vice president of product marketing, told Channel Partners about the program.

Cyberbit, a cybersecurity spinoff of Israeli military defense giant Elbit Systems – doing business in the United States for about six months – formally launched its North America channel program.

Stephen Thomas, Cyberbit’s VP of sales, said the company is looking to work with MSSPs, VARs, distributors and consultants and that sales are 100-percent through the channel.  

Learn more about the program.

Hardware-based security manufacturer Utimaco launched  its dedicated U.S. Partner Program to provide SIs and VARs with hardware security module (HSM) technology.

The program aims to help partners “get the most from their encryption strategies while fueling growth in their own markets.”

The program includes a “simple and attractive” pricing model and professional training.

Read more from Malte Pollmann, Utimaco’s CEO.

InfoVista has completely revamped its global partner program to make it more comprehensive, with additional incentives, new products and more support.

The program provides growth opportunities for MSPs, SIs and VARs by “helping them take advantage of the growing enterprise SD-WAN market through improved access to training, sales and marketing tools, and financial incentives.”

Read more about InfoVista’s program.

KnowBe4 formally announced the availability of its channel program for North American VARs and MSPs.

VARs and MSPs are able to provide customers with security training and awareness about how to detect and avoid ransomware, phishing and social engineering schemes. The program provides incentives, profitable margins, training, and sales and marketing support, the company said.

KnowBe4’s integrated security awareness training and simulated phishing platform is used by more than 6,000 organizations globally.

Get the full details on the program.