Dell Technologies launches 2024 partner program

Dell Technologies has launched its 2024 partner program, adding new incentives and training competencies as well as expanded Partner of Record (PoR) eligibility. 

The company is simplifying its Dell APEX Infrastructure offerings into Storage+ and Server+ categories, which means the full incentive-eligible Dell APEX portfolio now qualifies for base rebates and behavioural incentives. 

Availability of the Dell APEX Upfront incentive will remain for partners holding the Dell APEX Infrastructure competency.  

Metal-tier partners with a Client+ competency that hit their client peripheral revenue gate are now eligible for a five times multiplier on the base rebate when selling Dell Client Peripherals. 

They are also eligible for a two-times the base rebate when selling Precision Workstation, Dell Displays & Docks and Dell Latitude Rugged laptops and tablets. 

Dell has also increased the rebate for partners who attach Dell ProSupport Plus services when selling Client+ products.  

Meanwhile, partners that invest in and hold the PowerFlex Design 2023 Certification are eligible for a stackable four per cent rebate kicker on new business and competitive swap incentive opportunities. 

“What we're absolutely seeing in the marketplace is customers investing in a private cloud strategy, and what's associated with that is infrastructure refresh and infrastructure modernisation to support that private cloud strategy,” Dell’s ANZ channel GM Shant Soghomonian told CRN. 

“We're seeing a significant amount of projects and wins with our partners on that.” 

“Partners have become more important than ever to be able to deliver those outcomes to our customers as well.” 

“The reason being is that our partners have the greatest skill and capability around being able to deliver these infrastructure services [and] cloud services to their customers; they've got the services capabilities, the managed services capabilities.” 

New AI, edge and sustainability competencies  

Dell has introduced three new training competencies with its 2024 partner program. 

The new data science & AI and Edge Solutions competencies aim to build partner capabilities with AI, edge and multi-cloud solutions, and Dell’s related offerings. 

“…we are seeing increased pipeline and opportunity as well as interest from a partner perspective on the AI opportunity,” Soghomonian said. 

“We're seeing a lot of opportunities around the AI space around our portfolio and we've made a significant investment around our portfolio.” 

Dell has also introduced a Sustainability & ESG Competency that will provide sustainability training, enablement, tools and resources.  

Also on the sustainability front, Dell is extending its seven per cent rebate for its recovery services to include storage, in addition to the existing rebate on Asset Recovery Services for client and server. 

The company will also continue its quarterly Global ESG Partner Spotlight program, which recognises partners who execute co-branded initiatives aligned with Dell’s ESG priorities. 

Expanded PoR eligibility 

Dell has expanded its PoR eligibility for partners that sell more than $15,000 in server revenue to one a New Business Incentive server account 

The expansion of server PoR eligibility strengthens predictability of engagement for the datacenter holistically while rewarding partners for their investments and acquisition. 

“One of the things we…absolutely have seen is our pipeline growth in server through the partners,” Soghomonian said.  

“We've seen good partner storage pipeline growth since the announcement of the [storage PoR] program. But what we've also seen in correlation to that is server pipeline growth in the same customers as well.” 

“…we're making sure to drive that ongoing collaboration in those [storage] accounts, so it's expanding to server as well.” 

Partner-first strategy success 

The launch of the 2024 partner program follows Dell’s August 2023 introduction of its Partner First Strategy for Storage initiative. 

The company said that the initiative made over 99 per cent of customers and prospective customers partner firs for storage and quadrupled the number of accounts eligible for storage PoR status. 

It has also improved collaboration between Dell sales team members and partners. 

The “storage partner first strategy has been working very well; we've seen increased activity with our sales teams in collaboration in accounts, which has resulted in growth in pipeline as well as wins in the marketplace; really good strong wins,” Soghomonian said. 

“With our sales organisation, [we’re] making sure that they're working and collaborating with partners in their customer projects.” 

“We're providing our partners with the support that they need to deliver those projects and products to their customers as well.”