A Little History on Partner Connect Updates

Recall that, earlier this year, then-channel head Sandy Hogan told Channel Futures that VMware already was moving toward the next iteration of Partner Connect. It was doing so by introducing partner-to-partner incentives, for example, and by implementing that much-discussed ecosystem ethos.

“We are moving to much more of a ‘market-in’ definition of partner business models, rather than a ‘VMware-out’ view of how we expect partners to construct their businesses around us,” Hogan said in April. “This allows partners and VMware to innovate together, without the need to conform to a one-size-fits-all approach.”

VMware did this to help partners (and VMware itself) move from acting in a one-dimensional capacity to a delivering in a much more multifaceted way. In other words, partners such as resellers, who might remain too rooted in their traditional business models, would be compensated for teaming with managed service provider peers, for instance, to win and provision a deal. At the same time, VMware was moving its program to pay partners throughout the customer life cycle journey — not just at the point of sale.

VMware continued to make a number of channel program updates under Hogan’s leadership. When Hogan left for the CRO role at SADA, Tracy-Ann Palmer and her team picked up the Partner Connect ball.

Especially with the $61 billion Broadcom acquisition looming, VMware partners will want to understand what’s new and how leaders expect everything to come together under a new owner.