M-Files partners have access to a new partner program on the heels of record-breaking global channel sales growth.

The company, which boasts an information management platform, just unveiled new onboarding and training programs. There are also four new certifications for channel partners. The certifications verify competencies and reinforce successful delivery of M-Files information management solutions for customers.

M-Files has nearly 400 partners in 91 countries. It has launched an improved process to support the onboarding of 50 partners in 2021. The company is expanding its channel team by 25% over the next 12 months to support North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Sales driven by global partners grew 78% from the first quarter of 2020 through the same period this year. Moreover, in 2020, 34% of M-Files’ revenue was generated by M-Files partners.

Partner Program Evolution

Scott Erickson is M-File‘s senior vice president of channel sales.

M-Files’ Scott Erickson

“We’ve had a thriving partner program in place for well over 10 years and have made a small handful of material changes to the model over that time frame,” he said. “The changes we’ve introduced this year represent the continued evolution of our partner program and set the table for the foreseeable future as we further enable our partners to build a strong annual recurring revenue (ARR) stream.”

The changes were largely driven by an objective to provide stronger partner incentives and rewards for winning new ARR either through new customer acquisition or expanding existing accounts, Erickson said.

“As a pure SaaS vendor, we also wanted to ensure our new program represents a best-in-class partner program in the SaaS world,” he said.

Furthermore, M-Files continually strives to improve the partner experience in all aspects of its business, Erickson said.

“There are elements of our new program that represent a substantial increase in our investment to support our partner ecosystem,” he said. “That investment will absolutely yield an improved partner experience. For example, we’ve really elevated our enablement, training and certification platforms and programs to accelerate our partners’ technical readiness level to serve their customers. We’re also carving out resources from our customer success and consulting teams to assist partners in real time with their delivery projects as issues and questions crop up. And finally, the various partner-facing operational systems we have in place are all designed to keep information flowing freely and transparently and allow partners to focus on what counts the most, winning new ARR.”

M-Files Partners Become Subject-Matter Experts

The improvements, changes and additional investments all lead to helping partners earn credibility as subject matter experts in intelligent information management, Erickson said.

“Given what we have all experienced over the last year-and-a-half, this has never been more important as customers really look to our partners for guidance in how best to approach working in an increasingly virtual and digital world,” he said. “Combine that with the unique technical differentiators M-Files brings to the table and we have a powerful competitive force in play that is really turning into an engine. Most importantly though, our collective customers ultimately benefit as they achieve a rapid return on their investment and build confidence that M-Files can help solve some of the most critical business and process challenges they are facing day to day.”

Niall McConnell is commercial director at Convergent.

“The continued investments M-Files makes to enable and support their partners is what truly differentiates them,” he said. “The M-Files certified delivery partner accreditation helps us showcase our … proficiency in delivering M-Files solutions. By providing … training and best practices that meet the highest quality standards, M-Files equips us with the tools that offer our customers assurance and ensure their success.”