By Symantec Guest Blog

Last week at Vision, Symantec’s annual user and technical conference, a group of partners had the opportunity to engage with Symantec senior leaders. In addition to hearing about our newest security offerings, such as our advanced threat protection capabilities for Managed Security Services, partners learned about the next phase of our redesigned Partner Program.

At the event, we unveiled our 12 new performance-based Competencies, which, as I discussed in a previous blog post, form the basis of the redesigned Program. These Competencies will help partners align what they do—their business model, how they deliver solutions to customers, and their sales and technical capabilities—with Symantec’s technology portfolio. Symantec Competencies can be earned at two levels, Principal and Expert, with Expert Competencies being held at an elevated designation.

Partners can earn Principal Competency by completing required training and exams associated with a given Competency while also achieving defined revenue targets, customer reference requirements and/or other defined Program requirements. Expert-level Competency is an elevated designation of Competency that indicates validated proficiency in a solution area, achievement against advanced revenue and growth targets and demonstration of customer satisfaction. Partners who possess elevated status in multiple Competencies will have the ability to advance through the Partner Program tiers (Registered, Silver, Gold or Platinum) and earn additional benefits. In the October time frame, current Partner Program members will be mapped to a membership tier with the redesigned Program, based on previous Specializations earned, the types and number of Competencies achieved to date and other criteria.

While the redesigned Symantec Partner Program offers improved value for all Symantec partners, those partners who demonstrate their commitment and invest more deeply in building their capabilities through the achievement of Expert Competency will stand to benefit significantly through access to richer business, financial and strategic benefits. Qualifying partners can earn up to 20 percent through Symantec’s Opportunity Registration Program by securing incremental sales opportunities on qualifying products and services. Other financial benefits include a new Growth Accelerator Rebate, which offers eligible partners up to an 8 percent rebate by reaching and exceeding new business revenue targets; a new Renewals Performance Incentive, which offers qualifying partners up to a 2 percent rebate on applicable total renewal business; and richer Development Funds than ever before—up to 5 percent for qualifying partners.

In addition to financial benefits, all partners will now have access to a more comprehensive enablement portfolio and a host of valuable sales, marketing and technical benefits designed to help them increase customer demand and adoption, speed the sales cycle and accelerate their success. Partners who achieve at least one Expert Competency also can benefit from deeper insight into customers’ buying behaviors through new Market Intelligence Reports. More information about the richer rewards available through the redesigned Partner Program can be found on Michael Cusanelli’s recent article for The VAR Guy.

We are now entering a transition period in preparation for the “go live” of the redesigned Program, targeted to roll out in October. During this time, our partners will retain their existing Program membership status, have access to their existing benefits and can begin working toward achieving any new requirements associated with the redesigned Program and new Competencies. As partners transition over to the redesigned Program, Symantec will continue to recognize the capabilities have they’ve invested in developing through their past achievements of Specializations. We invite our partners to visit PartnerNet to get the latest program information.

The redesigned Symantec Partner Program has always been a joint venture. We’ve built this program based on the feedback we’ve received from our partners, always keeping them in mind. We’re excited to deliver a better customer experience, while driving growth and profitability to position Symantec, our partners and our customers for success.

John Eldh is vice president, channel sales, Americas, Symantec. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of The VAR Guy’s annual platinum sponsorship.