A partner program making inroads into the not-for-profit sector and an extensive incentive program are the finalists in the Distribution Performance category of the 2022 CRN Impact Awards.
This award recognises distributors that have gone the extra mile for vendors and channel partners. The two 2022 CRN Impact Awards Distribution Performance finalists are:
- The rhipe for Change program
- Wavelink’s Fortinet incentive and support program
rhipe for Change
rhipe has helped more than 350 partners take Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact (TSI) initiative to more than 1,000 charities across the Asia Pacific region – helping to reduce the cost barriers preventing non-profits from modernising their technology systems.
No-profits often have highly mobile frontline workforces for whom streamlined communication tools are vital, and reliance on volunteers creates collaboration, device management, security and infrastructure challenges.
rhipe has addressed these challenges under the banner of the rhipe for Change program, an extension of the Microsoft TSI initiative providing partners with access to licensing and pricing arrangements that rhipe offers to charities and not-for-profits. Partners also receive rebates from selling Microsoft products such as Business Premium, and can use incentives to drive campaigns and further activity.
The program also achieved 500 registrations for several webinars including three non-profit security webinars co-branded with rhipe’s premier partners, Powernet, ONGC and Bremmar. rhipe and Microsoft also co-hosted an Azure webinar for non-profits, the first of its kind in the region. The webinars were delivered at no cost to partners and the campaign marketing and demand generation completed by Microsoft.
rhipe was the only APAC distributor with an operating model on the Microsoft TSI program at the time it entered the 2022 CRN Impact Awards.
Matthew Bristow, Operations Manager at ONGC, was among those who praised the program: “Over the past year rhipe has given us access to resources such as co-branded webinars alongside Microsoft, elevating our profile and exposure to hundreds of NFP’s nationally. We’ve had the privilege of helping many new and existing NFP partners access 100’s of donation licenses and thousands of dollars of Azure resources to further their cause and ultimately benefiting the communities they serve,” Bristow stated.
Since rhipe was acquired by Crayon, it is now part of Crayon's global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. Crayon has released its first ESG report in 2022, committing to ambitious targets across the key pillars of People, Planet and Prosperity. There have been changes in rhipe's leadership team since the acquisition.
Wavelink’s Fortinet incentive and support program
Wavelink earned the CRN Impact Awards judges’ approval for its extensive Fortinet incentive and support program. This program recognised the importance of incentivising and supporting large and small partners on an ongoing basis – while ensuring they don’t focus solely on one criterion.
While other distributors manage quarterly incentive programs, Wavelink’s Mission Recognition leader board runs continuously over the course of the year. The aim is more consistent engagement and better sales enablement.
The Mission Recognition leader board takes into account sales revenue and enablement and comprises a quarterly leader board and a cumulative, overall leader board for businesses and individuals. Individuals can earn points by completing certifications, attending webinars, and completing quizzes. Every deal registered over AU$25,000 earns points, and sales transactions over AU$50,000 earn 750 points. Partners can earn points and be awarded quarterly incentives such as e-gifts and business-focused rewards, and to attend the main incentive – a trip to Queenstown.
Additionally, Wavelink’s 2022 Formula 1 networking event recognised partners’ Fortinet revenue growth over a three-month incentive period. Engagement was high and return on investment (ROI) was strong, Fortinet reports. This may have been helped by the fact the distributor’s account managers would secure a ticket to the event if their partners did.
Wavelink also regularly runs Fortinet-related webinars and training sessions as well as eight technical enablement sessions a quarter. The distributor also offers sales and technical enablement via face-to-face, virtual labs and workshops.
Wavelink earned a global Fortinet partner award earlier this year.
Announcing the rest of the CRN Impact Award finalists and winners
Look out this week and next week for CRN announcements detailing the rest of the finalists in the 2022 CRN Impact Awards.
The CRN Impact Awards winners will be revealed and celebrated on stage at the gala awards ceremony and dinner on August 25th at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast, as part of the CRN Pipeline 2022 conference.
The awards ceremony and dinner will be an opportunity for finalists to share their success with CRN journalists and the wider channel community and to network with Australia’s IT channel award winners. It will also be an opportunity for non-finalists to learn which channel partners kicked meaningful goals for customers in the last year, and meet them in-person.
Channel partners that attend the CRN Pipeline conference from August 23-26 at the same location can also network with Australia’s IT channel leaders and immerse themselves in top-class talks and roundtables about key business challenges and opportunities including staff shortages and hiring, economic outlook and key growth prospects.
Attend this year's premier channel awards, networking and strategic talk-fest - see the CRN Impact Awards and CRN Pipeline 2022 agenda.
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