channel partner

Channel partnerships provide an opportunity for companies to promote certain products or services. In return, channel partners receive access to product and marketing training, discounts, technical support, lead generation tools and beta versions of releases. A VAR that chooses to partner with a vendor may lose a certain degree of independence with respect to other vendors in the same market. As a result, these relationships make sense only when the increased access and support result in greater revenue for the channel partner. Several vendors have created online forums, discussion groups and social networking sites to encourage and support channel partnerships.

VAR to VAR partnerships differ from channel partnerships in the purpose of the relationship. Channel partners work together to distribute and implement a vendor's products. In a VAR to VAR relationship, the companies cooperate to obtain professional services and solutions that would not have been accessible to them otherwise. Each VAR to VAR partner must offer something to the other, such as complementary services or areas of expertise, or a presence in different geographical regions.

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More resources from around the web: - As reported by Nicole Lewis at SearchStorageChannel.com, EVault announced an improved online portal for VAR partners. - VAR-to-VAR channel partnerships offer risks and rewards, according to this article by Karen D. Schwartz at SearchITChannel.com. - SAP provides more information about channel partnerships at SAP.com. - Oracle offers a portal for resellers and distributers at Oracle.com. - Redmond Channel Partner Online offers resources for channel partners working with Microsoft products.

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