New program offerings ensure partners are SaaS-ready

April 21, 2010

3 Min Read

PRESS RELEASE

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. " April 21, 1010" Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced it has rolled out enhancements to the Symantec Hosted Services global partner program. The new program structure will allow its more than four thousand global channel partners several opportunities to expand their portfolios and generate recurring revenue streams.

"As we roll out these enhancements to existing partners and engage Symantec's network of global resellers, offering them the opportunity to leverage hosted services, we anticipate continued growth," said James Palmer, Vice President Sales and Channel Strategy, Symantec Hosted Services. "Many partners may not have embraced Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) due to the perceived investment needed. But with Symantec Hosted Services cutting-edge technology for securing and managing email, web and IM communications combined with industry-leading SLA's, partners can be revenue-ready with minimal investment at a predictable cost in a short amount of time."

Aimed at making Symantec Hosted Services partner program accessible to all partners and making hosted security applications more widely available across the Symantec reseller network, the newly enhanced programs offer low barrier to entry and allow organizations to take advantage of a rapidly-growing hosted services market without having to invest in expensive resources and technology.

The Associate Program offers partners two options for earning commission. Partners that want to develop an ongoing referral business and earn recurring commission on new contracts, upgrades and renewals and have the ability to meet minimal requirements, can take advantage of the new Premium Associate Program. Influencers or consultants with occasional referral opportunities can earn commission on new contracts and upgrades with the standard Associate Program which requires no minimum referral commitment. The Premium Associate Program offers 15 percent commission on new business, upgrades and renewals while the Associate Program offers 15 percent commission on new business and upgrades.

The Authorized Reseller Program acts as an entry-level reseller program with easy-to-achieve entry requirements and a minimal investment from the partner after a small remote set-up procedure. The program provides a 20 percent margin with the option of all ongoing customer support obligations fully managed by Symantec Hosted Services.

As Hosted Exchange adoption has grown exponentially, Symantec Hosted Services has further aligned its program offerings to support these requirements. The Hosted Applications Provider Program is an exclusive-access OEM program that allows partners to incorporate the Symantec hosted security services into hosted applications.

"Progressing from the Symantec Hosted Services Associate level to an Authorized Reseller has provided additional revenue opportunities and the added benefit of strong sales and technical support from Symantec Hosted Services team," said David Montgomery, Senior Account Manager, System Design Group. "As the security market changes, so do the needs of our customers and more are requesting SaaS solutions. Having a strong reseller program in place that allows us to move into the hosted services market has given us a competitive advantage in the market."

Other improvements to the Symantec Hosted Services global channel program include improvements to the partner portal with added functionality and usability, new bundles with competitive pricing and new provisioning and quote generation tools. As part of the program, partners receive support and resources across the sales spectrum and with marketing and training activities.

"Historically, our partner program has had a fundamental focus on resellers, but it has now evolved into a much wider program with many options that represent our partners' various business models," Palmer said. "With the widespread adoption of SaaS, we have sought to incorporate programs that accommodate a broad range of partner business models and investment levels so that any organization can readily offer their customers hosted services."

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

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