NTT evolving its partner ecosystem with the right mix of partners

Shantaram Shinde 
Channel Sales - NTT Ltd 

 The NTT Partner program prioritizes Transfer Price Deals over ORC deals, fostering more meaningful and interdependent partnerships. It also places greater emphasis on collaborative efforts and leveraging each other’s competencies to meet customer needs, rather than solely focusing on reselling.  

The NTT Partner Program is a 15+ year-old ecosystem that has evolved over time to adapt to the market and enable partners to maximize their benefits from it. It initially aimed to address the geographical coverage gap in a country as widely spread as India, with its rich cultural and linguistic diversity.  

Recognizing its importance in the early 2007-2008, we commenced the partner program. This program is vital as it tackles various challenges prevalent in a country like India. It not only shortens the sales cycle but also leverages partner relationships with clients for Service Provider/OEM. Additionally, it facilitates quick GTM (Go-To-Market) strategies and outreach, assisting customers and prospects in the consumption of new technology services. On the other hand, it enhances partner competencies and capabilities, augmenting the revenue stream. 

The NTT BPA (Business Partner Agreement) clearly articulates and communicates the expectations from each party in the Business Engagement. It clearly defines roles and responsibilities for each party, leaving hardly any room for ambiguity. Every year, NTT ensures it communicates its Partner ecosystem on policy-related changes. The Partner Program, Pay-out Policy, MDF, Rebates, Marketing Support, and Co-Branded events are all discussed with Partners during the onboarding process itself. 

In addition to the Partner Pay-out policy, NTT has a rewards and recognition policy for Partner sales and presales teams. We reward every deal that exceeds a certain threshold. Furthermore, we have the Partner of the Month, Partner of the Quarter, and Super Achiever awards for the top 10 Partners who surpass their quota numbers. Both ORC deals and Transfer Price deals qualify for number achievement. 
The Partner Ecosystem has evolved over 15+ years, incorporating the right mix of partners, such as System Integration, Application Integration, Born in Cloud, ISVs, and VBRs, among others. We have shifted the focus from quantity to quality in terms of the number of partners and the MSP Program. The MSP Program emphasizes solution-led deals, addressing business challenges in the customer environment rather than solely focusing on reselling.