"VMware Partner Connect reiterates our commitment to improve partner experience, helping them drive customer success and digital transformation"

Manish Alshi, Director, Partner Sales, VMware

“VMware launched its new partner program, VMware Partner Connect on February 29th, 2020, which is a new, dramatically simplified, and flexible program designed to enable partners to do business with VMware in a way that aligns with their business models under a single, unified contract. The program empowers partners with the flexibility to meet customer needs, making VMware technologies and services opportunities more accessible. Partners now have an enhanced experience that delivers simplicity, choice, and innovation, while recognizing and rewarding partners based on the value they bring to customers. The new VMware Partner Connect program has been welcomed and widely appreciated by our Partner community.

VMware Partner Connect reiterates our commitment to dramatically improve the partner experience, helping them drive customer success and digital transformation. Designed to deliver simplicity, choice, and innovation, Partner Connect aligns with our Partners’ business model so that they can optimize profitability. While the earlier partner program was a cluster of multiple programs focused on resell-based transactions, the new Partner Connect Program brings in an increased strategic focus on value delivery across the full customer lifecycle.

The program was developed by a cross-functional team representing a broad set of perspectives incorporating both, VMware internal teams as well as partner teams. The Partner Advisory Council continues to provide feedback regarding various aspects of the program. VMware Partner Connect offers a simplified, consistent experience designed to provide clearer paths to our partners towards profitability, whether they want to resell software or services, manage or host services, or provide value-add services to their customers.

There are three key Incentive and Investment Programs within Partner Connect: Advantage+, Solution Rewards, and Development Funds.

• Advantage+: VMware’s sales incentives program to drive bookings, pipeline visibility and deal advantage
• Solution Rewards: VMware’s back-end rebate program focused on rewarding partners who have demonstrated their dedication to selling and delivering VMware solutions
• Development Funds: VMware’s pre-sales investment to drive incremental demand and increase strategic partners’ capacity and for VMware technologies
The new Partner Connect program rewards partners for growing their business, achieving solution competencies & master services competencies, and progressing to Advanced or Principal tiers within the Partner Connect Program. Incentive eligibility is determined and applied by the program tier level, market maturity, and business model.”