**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of July’s important channel-program changes you should know.**

PRESS RELEASE — CHANNEL PARTNERS EVOLUTION —The Alliance Partners (an Associations/Media Sponsor), a channel partner industry organization that brings together agents, VARs, managed service providers,  IT consultants and cloud specialists, has entered into an agreement with Verizon to add Verizon as a Preferred Provider, and joins the Verizon Partner Program as a platinum member.

This agreement provides all 17 of the Alliance’s member agencies with access to Verizon’s complete enterprise cloud and communications portfolio, as well as options for wireless services.

“We are excited that Verizon recognizes the Alliance’s strength in the channel and supports our unique construct to maximize the benefit to both Verizon and our members,” said Bill Power, Alliance CEO. {ad}

Alliance members collectively have offices in 30 U.S. and international cities; priority access to 11,000+ subagents, direct sales resources and 450+ direct staff; and more than 250,000 existing clients—all resulting in a collective, mature Alliance sales engine that books in excess of $2 million in new revenue per month. This agreement puts Verizon front-and-center to benefit from that reach.

“In working with Verizon leading up to this agreement, the Alliance has already delivered several wins,” said David Gardner, Alliance board chair, and president and CEO of Advantage Communications. “We are excited about the early success and look forward to this strategic relationship.”

As a Preferred Provider, Verizon also enjoys streamlined on-boarding for quick go-to-market results, and will move to the front of the line in terms of the Alliance’s focus and marketing activities.

“Working with the Alliance allows Verizon to tap into a broad network of master agents to scale our channel sales program in the U.S. quickly,” said Janet Schijns, vice president of global channels for Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “We want to bring our world-class network, IT and security services to clients looking to transform their business and the Alliance enables us to do that.”

The Verizon Partner Program tailors regional and national opportunities for systems integrators, value added resellers, agents and solutions providers to accelerate delivery and adoption of solutions for meeting medium business requirements. In addition, the program features a simple, tiered benefits structure that allows members the flexibility to determine levels of commitment, and also includes simple-to-use tools and clear and consistent engagement processes.

Verizon also provides extensive training and certification curriculum for its products and solutions. Members can tap into a wealth of marketing resources and support from co-marketing materials to market development funds and joint event participation depending on member level.

About the Alliance Partners
For 20 years, the Alliance Partners, originally the Agent Alliance, has been a powerful voice in the channel, dedicated to the best business outcomes for the channel and its providers. It is an important forum for education, collaboration and information-sharing, aimed at helping channel partners evolve their practices to remain competitive. The Alliance is able to leverage the unique and diverse expertise of its formidable member roster to put knowledge into practice in highly pragmatic ways to create an environment of continuous growth and improvement, which benefits partners, providers and clients alike. www.thealliancepartners.com