Schneider Electric is introducing a Software Services certification under the company’s IT Partner Program to support partners wanting to expand their portfolio with software solutions.
The initiative aims to open up new go-to-market models for partners who can help customers monitor, manage and optimise their edge computing and data centre sites through sustainable EcoStruxure IT software solutions, as well as also offering benefits like new recurring revenue streams, specialised training pathways and additional rebates.
Schneider also announced it is extending new badge certifications under the EcoXpert Partner Program to data centre and critical infrastructure competent partners (such as power specialist contractors, mechanical installers, data centre design and build firms and automation and software experts) to cater to the diverse business models of partners who play in the critical infrastructure space.
The new badges have been launched in Europe, North America, and East Asia and will launch in Australia and New Zealand in the latter half of 2025.
Farokh Ghadially, VP of secure power for Schneider Electric’s Pacific region, said that the badges will be invitation-only to start, complementing the existing mySchneider IT Partner Program.
“This initiative complements the systems integrator and reseller capability, aiming to help them deliver larger projects end-to-end,” he told us.
“We have also added new benefits for certified partners within the mySchneider IT Partner Program that include our new partner advocacy platform and Rev Up x Amplify Sales Enablement Series in partnership with Sales Redefined.”
The EcoXpert Partner Program currently offers 11 badge certifications across three categories: Building and Residential Automation; Power Distribution and Management; and Grid and New Energy Landscape. There are two levels of certification for each badge and EcoXperts can earn certifications in multiple fields of expertise.
Schneider Electric’s channel partners in Australia and New Zealand includes approximately 2,500 IT systems integrators and managed service providers, 1,500 industrial systems integrators, 4,500 contractors, and eight distributors and wholesalers.
"Customers are not wanting to deal with so many partners anymore." - Joe Craparotta
“Coming out of their comfort zone”
Schneider Electric’s VP of cloud and service providers for the Pacific region, Joe Craparotta, claimed that more channel partners were coming out of their comfort zone to add depth to their portfolio.
“There's more of an interest in how they play along the whole spectrum because I think most of their customers are not wanting to deal with so many partners anymore,” he said.
“We’ve seen a reduction in the amount of partners, but an increase in partners who have more depth and breadth in their portfolio.”
Ghadially talked up initiatives like the company’s Alliance Partner Program and Alliance SI Energise Program help partners build capability in industrial automation, sustainability and technology with access to training, certifications, and commercial support, amid a growing demand for sustainability from customers and other stakeholders and the introduction of mandatory sustainability reporting for companies from January 1 of this year.
“Channel partners are telling us they need to deepen their capability in industrial tech, cybersecurity, and sustainability,” he said.
Craparotta said that the industry-wide focus on AI has somewhat displaced sustainability from a media and awareness perspective, but sustainability is still the “major pillar that's holding up AI”.
“The channel needs to be not only consulting and providing value to the end users on AI, but you have to link the sustainability message to it,” he said.
“I would recommend that any channel partner has a sustainability practice as strong as their cyber practice or as strong as their AI practice, because it's going to be sustainability that’s going to hold up that whole ecosystem.”
"Australia is going to continue to punch above its weight in terms of investment that’s coming in." - Joe Craparotta
US export controls
Craparotta also noted a revising of the US Export Administration Regulations framework, applying export controls to regulate the global “diffusion” of the most advanced AI models and large clusters of advanced computing integrated circuits.
According to law firm Piper Alderman, the intent of this framework is “to foster AI development in countries aligned with U.S. technology, principles and interests, while restricting access to nations who are not”, and with Australia designed as a Tier One country under the framework – along with the US and 17 others – “this group will effectively see unrestricted access to American AI chips”.
“We're seeing the impact of that - GPU clusters standing up earlier than the rest of the East Asian countries, many of them on Tier Two or Tier Three allocation – and because of the maturity in cloud in Australia, along with the chip allocation, access to good sources of energy, a skilled labour force and geqpolitical and economic stability, I think Australia is going to continue to punch above its weight in terms of investment that’s coming in,” Craparotta said.
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