SAP appoints Avantis as master value added reseller

SAP has certified Avantis Information Systems as a master value-added reseller of its BusinessObjects portfolio.

Avantis will resell the analytics tool to non-SAP partners - Extended Business Members (EBMs), which in turn, will gain license sale opportunities.

EBMs can include small and medium hardware vendors, business consulting firms, integrators, resellers and independent software vendors.

The move comes as the German software maker expands its Extended Business Program (EBP) for resellers to include BusinessObjects. Until now, the program was available to all SAP partners except SAP's BusinessObjects partners.

Integrator Extend Technologies was the first master VAR for the reseller program with a focus on SAP's ERP business line for medium and large enterprises.

It was a successful pilot to see if this kind of program would work, SAP said.

"However, there are parts of the BusinessObjects portfolio that would not be relevant to the size of clients they normally target, which is where Avantis could be a better fit," the SAP spokesperson told CRN.

Reseller program

SAP launched EBP late last year as a program that provides structure for partners in the areas of product licensing information and procurement services to their customer base.

Colin Pearshouse, general manager of Avantis said that "at present, we are looking to partner with organisations that do not have the ability to sell all of the SAP BusinessObjects tools but are in a position to identify potential license opportunities.

SAP and Avantis said the companies will provide support from initial inductions and through to sales and pre-sales training, technical training and consultant certification.

Becoming an EBM is free and members do not need to commit to meeting any fixed sales quota targets, said SAP.

EBPs will also have access to SAP branding and channel partner materials. They will also have the option of attending partner meetings and focused training programs.

"We hope that this will make the reseller program more flexible for more niche partners and enable a faster sales cycle for the end user," said Helen Masters, general manager of fast growth markets at SAP ANZ.