The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the business across the world. With this business partners across are also effected much with the disruption. The COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a public health emergency globally by the World Health Organization (WHO), causing huge impact on people's lives, families and communities.
Technology is the rescue in a remote world. During this crisis, enterprise networks are seeing a demand for unprecedented levels of virtual collaboration. Bandwidth is vital to preserving business continuity as they look to increase or shift network capacity to maintain business operations and ensure their network security is not compromised.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, people favour brands with flexible payments, remote work and shifting priorities affect marketers. CIOs discuss that diversity will be the secret recipe for success and more.
It is incredible to see the technology companies to come forward to aid the eco- system. They have reacted to this crisis in some incredible ways which is worth mentioning.
There are certain OEMs such as Dell Technologies, Cisco, HPE and Microsoft which have come-up to ease the disruption by making changes in their partner programs. Let’s see the partner programs and how OEMS/Principles are supporting their Partner eco-system during the COVID-19 crisis.
Cisco commits $2.5B for “business resiliency” financing for partners
Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO, Cisco
Cisco partners ecosystem is more than 60,000 globally, with all Cisco solutions spanning across - hardware, software and services space.
“Cisco's customers and partners are under enormous pressure to keep their businesses connected while remaining productive and secure," said Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco. "Whether it's technology, financing or helping those most in need, Cisco is committed to working together to fight this pandemic on every front.”
As per Robbins, cash flow ranks high as a leading concern for both partners and customers during this current crisis. The program includes an upfront 90-day payment holiday and allows a customer to defer 95% of the cost of a new product or solution until 2021, with the aim of protecting partner assets and increasing existing cash flow reserves.
Starting in January 2021, customers can then make a monthly payment based on the total financed amount and the remaining term of the financing. With all Cisco solutions eligible, up to five percent of partner provided services, such as installation, is also included in the plans.
Cisco commits $2.5B in “business resiliency” financing for partners and rolled out a new round of support incentives to help partners and customers overcome rising COVID-19 challenges, with US$2.5 billion in financing at the centrepiece. It will be delivered through Cisco Capital - the vendor’s financial division - the new Business Resiliency program is designed to mitigate cash flow concerns in the channel through “payment holiday” schemes and customer deferral options.
As per the report, Cisco Refresh has been launched to provide partner access to the vendor's certified remanufactured product portfolio, which houses a wider range of discounted products and solutions through a pre-owned suite of offerings. Cisco is empowering the partners through free Webex and Security offers enabling them to stay securely connected and productive during this time.
Microsoft rolls out tools as partners tackling pandemic disruption
Gavriella Schuster, Microsoft One Commercial Partner Vice President
“Microsoft is continuing to roll out a host of new tools and partner program updates as partners navigate their way through the tumultuous business climate brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as per the report.
The new tools on offer include an enhanced Partner Centre, which provides a single place for partners to connect with other partners, Microsoft and customers. In addition, there is further on-demand support and evolved co-selling programs that mean partners can accept and share referrals from Microsoft (first party solutions) and other partners (third party solutions).
The vendor is also increasing access to training, support and go-to-market services, along with new competencies on the line, advanced specialisations and the company's Expert Program.
Additionally, Microsoft has indicated that it will put an increased focus on rewarding customer, results and achieving positive outcomes rather than relying on a model that is purely based on financial metrics.
These offerings only scratch the surface as we continue to prioritise investments that support new opportunities in order to position our commercial partners for growth in the future,” Gavriella Schuster, Microsoft One Commercial Partner Vice President said.
Schuster has assure partners that the company remains committed to safeguard business continuity and ensure the ecosystem is set up to reach its full potential.
“We look forward to continuing to evolve our relationship with all of our commercial partners in the months and years to come,” she said. “I’m proud of the work Microsoft is doing and the investments the company has made to support our customers and partners during these challenging times.”
Customers can also acquire new technology and pay one per cent of the total contract value each month for the first eight months, deferring over 90% of the cost until 2021. With no COVID-19 end in sight, Microsoft adjusts partner programs.
The changes centre around increasing incentives and issuing competency extensions across specific product portfolios such as Teams and Azure, alongside postponing Microsoft Partner Agreement implementation plans. This is in addition to ramping up online training and certifications, backed by improved access to digital marketing resources.
Dell Technologies assures channel partners, announces immediate financial relief
Joyce Mullen, President, Global Channel, OEM &IoT, Dell Technologies
“COVID-19 has changed the way we work, the way we interact, and the way we approach public health. But it hasn’t changed our commitment to our partners. We have our partners’ backs. We always have, and always will.
That’s why we’ve been working on ways we can continue to support our partners – so they can continue to support their customers – during this unpredictable time,” says, Joyce Mullen, President, Global Channel, OEM &IoT, Dell Technologies.
She further added, “Dell Financial Services (DFS) has been a leader in technology payment solutions for the last 22 years. DFS originations increased 16% year over year to $8.5B in FY20. In addition, we have been delivering flexible consumption solutions to our customers and channel partners for more than 14 years. Our consumption-based offerings are now approaching over $3.5B in assets under management.
As many organizations need more flexible repayment terms, and our partners may need help managing cash flow or end-user credit risk. Beyond the extensive payment solutions DFS offers, below are the additional options available through5/1/20**. Each solution can be fully customized to your customers’ needs to include deferred payment schedules and zero up-front costs to help preserve capital.
Customers and partners are navigating through uncertainty and complexity. To help the channel partner community serve their customers better, Dell Technologies announced ‘Partner Relief Package’, to provide financial relief. Through this initiative, Dell has taken actions to provide immediate financial relief to metaled partners, while helping them build capabilities and pipeline for the future. The Dell Technologies’ Working Capital Solutions (WCS) Program and Dell Financial Services (DFS) are also working on ways to continue supporting the partners.”
Channel plan designed to drivesimplicity and profitability
Ng TianBeng, Senior VP and General Manager, APJ Channels, Dell Technologies
Ng TianBeng, Senior VP and General Manager, APJ Channels, Dell Technologies said, “Financial support and capital are of utmost importance for our partners to adapt to the rapidly changing environment. With that in mind, we have taken actions to provide immediate financial relief, while helping our partners to develop competencies for the future. At Dell Technologies, we value our partners and hence we have stepped up our efforts to support through the evolving challenges presented by Covid-19. The financial relief package will enable our partner community to address their financing and cash flow difficulties and empower our partners to support their end customers.”
Channel to follow the financialdiscipline
Anil Sethi, Vice President & General Manager, Channels, Dell Technologies, India
“We understand the importance of cash flow and liquidity for our valued partners. In order to ensure their business continuity, we’ve rolled out unique benefits under our Marketing Development Funds (MDF) program, Working Capital Solutions (WCS) program and Dell Financial Services (DFS) program. The financial relief package, together with free training and certifications, will help our partners improve cash position and build stronger capabilities for the future. Dell Technologies is fully committed to supporting the partner community navigate through these unprecedented times,” said Anil Sethi, Vice President & General Manager, Channels, Dell Technologies, India.
While the customer’s biggest need right now is technology services, there are many organizations who need more flexible repayment terms, and the partners may need help managing cash flow or end-user credit risk. Beyond the extensive payment solutions, Dell Financial Services is also offering possibilities for each solution to be fully customized to the partner’s needs including deferred payment schedules and zero up-front costs to help preserve capital.
HPE pours $2B in customer financing as COVID-19 impacts cash flow
Antonio Neri, President and CEO, HPE
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) tackles pandemic conditions with new partner and customer relief initiatives with a package in financing about US$2 billion to help customers overcome cash flow and liquidity crunch related to Covid-19, forming part of a global stimulus package.
It will get disbursed by HPE Financial Services - the Payment Relief Program is designed to help customers acquire new technology while alleviating financial strain, through deferred payment plans and buy-back initiatives.
Specifically, the multibillion-dollar pledge in financing will be applied to ensure the business continuity and operations at the customer level, in addition to “converting IT infrastructure into new sources of capital,” according to Antonio Neri, President and CEO of HPE.
The move comes amid rising concern within the channel across Asia Pacific that financially challenged customers continue to severely impact the ecosystem. As revealed via a special report - Protecting partners during Covid-19 - tier-2 providers are especially at risk as end-users struggle to meet payment terms, placing enormous strain on the supply chain.
“We are all seeing the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic grow each day,” said Antonio Neri. “We are doing everything we can to address the needs and concerns of our customers and partners.”
According to Neri, the vendor is “actively working” to mitigate such impact from an operational perspective, with a particular focus on streamlining distribution through the channel.
“Long before Covid-19, we took steps to diversify our supply chain and we are working closely with more than 200 suppliers to optimise how we build and distribute our products,” Neri added. “Our response framework focuses on assessing developments, addressing the needs of our people and business operations, and adapting our business activities to help the world tackle this crisis.”
The financing will be applied to ensure the continuity of business operations at customer level, in addition to “converting IT infrastructure into new sources of capital”.
Customers can also acquire new technology and pay one per cent of the total contract value each month for the first eight months, deferring over 90 per cent of the cost until 2021. According to HPE, beginning in 2021, each monthly payment would equal approximately 3.3 per cent of total contract value.
“This is a challenging time to lead a business,” added Irv Rothman, President and CEO of HPE Financial Services. “Today more than ever, IT leaders and CFOs play a central role in ensuring financial health while continuing operations.”
HP also offers short-term, market and country-specific incentives for partners in a bid to help businesses in the channel navigate rocky market conditions resulting from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The initiatives, which span global commercial and retail channel partners across personal systems and print, will vary by geography and are dependent on partner eligibility.
The actions taken by HP include the provision of a variety of financing and leasing options for end customers. Specifically, in partnership with its finance partners, HP’s Integrated Financial Solutions group is now offering a variety of financial and asset lifecycle options, including deferred or reduced payments until 2021.
Customers can delay payments for 90 days: HPE’s Financial Services
SomSatsangi, Managing Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, India
“As we adjust to this new way of working, our focus on our customers and partners remains unwavering. We are working closely with our partner community to provide them with mission-critical service, support and guidance in these challenging times.
Long before COVID-19, we also took steps to diversify our supply chain, and we are working closely with more than 200 suppliers to continue to minimize the impact on partners and customers.
Our HPE GreenLake as-a-service offering and the new options from HPE’s Financial Services are designed to address cash flow issues, infrastructure support and delivery delays. To help alleviate some of the financial strain felt by businesses, we have recently announced that we would defer or reduce expense through payment deferral, enabling customers to delay payments for 90 days, or through the 2020 Payment Relief Program where customers can acquire the technology they need today and pay only 1% of the total contract value each month for the first eight months, deferring over 90% of the cost until 2021. This can help businesses navigate the financial impact of COVID-19 in the next few months. In order to continue to deliver services to our customers, our HPE Pointnext Services and technical support teams are able to assist our customers and partners by leveraging technologies and HPE virtual support tools in lieu of attending on site wherever possible. We have robust business continuity plans and with the activation of HPE Crisis Management Team in place we are confident to mitigate disruptions, meet partner and customer demands, and protect HPE team members.”
IBM strengthens its partner support during the pandemic
Lata Singh, Executive Director IBM Partner Ecosytem& CSI, India/South Asia
"The world is dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and number of our clients and partners have had to re-evaluate their IT strategy in the short and medium term. IBM is committed to support our clients via multiple digital platforms of engagement in these times of social distancing. We have launched a special set of offerings to cater to the increased demand for Cloud solutions, Cybersecurity, Remote Workforce and Business Continuity Planning and some specifically to assist our channel business partners.
IBM is offering an extended financial stimulus package for our customers through IBM Global Financing. IBM Systems globally has added millions of dollars into the incentive portfolio which will be available for distributors and all partners in India. The Q2 performance incentive for Power and Storage has been increased. The funding for eligible digital co-marketing activities in Q2 has been increased from 50% to 100%. Clients will be given option to pay in quarterly installments at zero percent interest for any hardware purchases in Q2 subject to terms & conditions.
We have suspended CVR Sales / Sales Assist, CVR Solution revalidation for 2020 allowing partners additional time to prepare and complete necessary testing. The revalidation grace period for IBM Partnerworld program has been extended from May 5, 2020 to January 1, 2021 so that partners will not decrease in program level or lose a competency during this time. IBM provides resources to plan/prospect and progress leads, run a digital workshopwith the Digital Technical Engagement team and incentives if the workshop is done with a client. We are providing access to key virtual selling tools, remote training tools, guidance and resources to make sure learning never stops. My Digital Marketingis the new digital marketing platform which IBM launched in Feb for our partners to quickly access an array of 'ready-to-execute' digital campaigns. With it partners will be able to plan, personalize, execute and measure their next digital marketing campaign, and identify what does and doesn’t work as our lines of communications shift to more virtual channels. We provide 24/7 access to solution demos, webinars and more at IBM Virtual Client Center. IBM has launched a special 90-day software offerings and trials at no cost for Cloud & Cognitive Softwareand defined a distinct set of focus solutions for IBM Power, IBM Security, IBM Storage, IBM Z and LinuxONEthat will help both partners and customers. We will continue to push more content to the Seismicplatform - a central repository for all sales enablement materials on demand - with additional programmatic digital enablement sessions. Business Partner Connectoffers both IBM and Red Hat partners the ability to discover new collaboration opportunities, by leveraging Watson's matching technology to help find the right tools for shifting business needs.IBM digital badges and professional certifications are now available on IBM Skills Gateway.
Since we have a strong services team we are sharing with our partners details on our service offerings as well as best practices . Partners looking to expand their service offerings can seek advise from our experts as well as take the IBM service offerings to their Clients. We are also keen that our partners leverage IBM Cloud for their client needs from bare metal to SaaS offerings. On top of it all, we are hosting the IBM Think 2020and PartnerWorld conference digitally on May 5-6. It will be an exciting combination of live streamed content, interactive sessions and certifications, highlighting IBM’s technology and industry expertise for Business Partners and developers. The focus on building skills on solutions for the post COVID time remains most important,” said Lata Singh, Executive Director IBM Partner Ecosytem& CSI, India/South Asia.
Nutanix'snew Special Financial Assistance, Program aims to support during COVID-19 crisis
Chris Kaddaras, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Nutanix
Nutanix has come up with the Special Financial Assistance Program (NSFAP) to demonstrate its commitment to support partners worldwide as they work to sustain business operations amidst rapidly changing macroeconomic conditions. The NSFAP program will provide participating partners with extended payment terms to give them increased financial flexibility for their businesses. Additionally, Nutanix enables enhanced financing options for customers through Nutanix Financial Solutions (NFS).
“We recognize the immense pressure businesses face today and we are happy to be able to offer immediate support to our partners by alleviating cash flow concerns and increasing financing flexibility,” said Chris Kaddaras, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Nutanix. “Our commitment to our partners has never been stronger. We will continue to evaluate the needs of our community to ensure our partners and customers have the resources they need to be successful in the current environment.”
Organizations today are highly focused on conserving cash flow and deferring expenses, all while keeping their business going, retaining their workforce, and supporting their customers. The NSFAP aims to help provide liquidity to partners and provide them the financial flexibility needed to support their businesses and customers, based on each partner’s particular needs. Through this program:
• Authorized Nutanix participating reseller partners are eligible for extended payment terms, with no additional costs, effective immediately.
• Authorized Nutanix participating reseller partners will, in turn, extend these extended payment terms to their customers to support further financial flexibility.
• The program is available for a limited time, through May 31, 2020, in order to help our customers and partners cope in this time of unprecedented economic uncertainty. Reseller partners can contact their Nutanix authorized distribution partners for NSFAP eligibility.
Customers can also leverage enhanced financing solutions through the Nutanix customer financing organization, NFS, designed to support their business continuity, including 180-day deferred payment, ustomizable payment plans, cash trade-in of existing assets, and more
Acer extends warranty of all products fora period of 60 Days
ChandrahasPanigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head, Acer India
Acer India has announced an extension of standard warranty for entire range of its products by 60 days from the date of suspension of the lockdown. This is going to be applicable for products whose warranty have been expired in this lockdown period.
With this customers can avail this warranty in case an issue arises with their products. Acer has also come up with ‘Book Now and Pay Later’ option for it’s consumers to line-up their desired products so that it will be instantly delivered to them as soon as the lockdown releases. This includes features like GST ready e-invoices, multiple payment options for ease-in process and transaction.
ChandrahasPanigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head, Acer India said, “In order to reassure that our customer is at peace during lockdown period, we have decided to provide 60 days extended warranty on all our products whose warranty is expiring during this lockdown phase.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has indeed put the world on hold. Like many other countries, India has been under lockdown since 23rd March. Amongst various other constraints that it brings, the lockdown has also created an issue for electronic users who are looking to get their devices repaired. It's exceptionally difficult for people whose devices are reaching the end of the warranty period. Through this initiative, Acer also wishes to strengthen its connection with its buyers and build greater affinity to the brand by encouraging customers to stay calm and safe during ongoing pandemic.
