SAP has become more partner-friendly and plans to go further SAP is to change its partner programme to bring in more non-standard channels, including OEMs, ISVs and integrators. Rodolpho Cardenuto (below), the head of the company’s Global Partner Operations told the recent partner event that “Partners first, simple wins, deliver value” is the theme.
SAP has grown its number of partners from 2,000 to 13,000 in the past 10 years and has increased the number of partner solutions from two to 57 in the same time period. As a result, partner-driven revenue has increased tenfold since 2005 and now makes up 33% of total revenue. SAP will simplify partners’ go to market, portfolios and business models to help them deliver outcomes to the end customers as SAP executes on a “value drives volume” strategy.
To simplify partners’ go to market, Cardenuto announced that the SAP PartnerEdge program will be revamped in 3Q15. PartnerEdge Next Generation includes new programs for training, enablement and value creation, offers more attractive discounts and reduces barriers to adoption of SAP solutions as SAP wants all of its partners to use its products. SAP PartnerEdge also provides “one holistic partner management model” to reward partners for their total business contribution.
Analyst TBR says SAP will need partners to be key evangelists around transformational solutions such as S/4HANA and its IoT portfolio as these solutions require strategy-led engagements between customers and partners. Partner Select is the new program built for lower midmarket partners, designed to reduce cloud barriers and offer fixed-price packaged solutions and services.