February marks a meaningful milestone for Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN): One year ago, my team launched an innovative cloud program that gives partners the chance to, quite literally, transform their cloud business with Oracle.

We call it the Oracle Cloud Program, and it has been architected to offer tiered designations so OPN members can differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise while driving customer success. Partners qualify for specific tiers based on their investment in the following areas:

Depending on a partner’s level of expertise and investment in the above areas, they can qualify for one of four designations/tiers: Cloud Standard, Cloud Select, Cloud Premier or Cloud Elite (Global Cloud Elite).

Each of these tiers recognizes and rewards partners for their strong expertise in the Oracle Cloud. The overall program enables partners to engage in ways that correspond to their specific business goals and objectives to ultimately bring in more revenue.

Where We Are Now

Oracle is making great progress with the Cloud Program. We are focusing our resources on partners truly investing in Oracle Cloud and driving the Cloud business. Oracle partners are excited about the program and striving to meet top-tier criteria. We have more than 8,000 Cloud-focused partners who represent over 28,000 Cloud specialists–with several thousand already in the Cloud Program.

In addition, Oracle is developing greater customer awareness, and, as with any new program, we expect the increased awareness in the market to further drive participation. We’re seeking quality, not quantity, and we are focused on the most qualified partners globally.

What Are Cloud Partners Currently Working on?

Oracle has a comprehensive set of programs and commercial models. Partners can resell, develop, integrate with, implement and provide managed services for Oracle products. Our partners are contributing heavily to the digital transformation by migrating existing on-premises applications to Oracle Cloud, developing new applications on Oracle PaaS and integrating their applications with Oracle’s SaaS applications.

How Will the Program Evolve in 2017?

As we move into our second year, we continue to mold the OPN Cloud Program to better serve our partners and their customers. Partners can expect to see updated marketing, sales, enablement and development benefits that specifically align to their business focus. Oracle believes NOW is the time for partners to capitalize on the digital revolution by taking their customers into the Cloud.

All the best,

Penny Philpot

Penny Philpot is Group Vice President, Worldwide Alliances & Channels, Oracle 

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.