Symbol talks up channel

Symbol is the latest vendor to claim a growing love of the indirect sales model.

The mobility and networking hardware vendor has locally signed 15 new ISV and VAR partners under its Partner Select program since April.

The number brings the total partner count up to 200 across Australia and New Zealand.

Symbol has also grown its percentage of channel sales from 40 per cent in FY03 to 84 percent in FY05.

Since launching its partner Select program in A/NZ two years ago, partners had flocked to the vendor, vice president of worldwide channels, Jan Burton, said.

“Since then we have build the best ecosystem in the industry,” she claimed. “We are getting kudos all around the world.”

This street-cred had come largely from the company’s ability to link ISV
partners in one country with Symbol’s own sales force in another, Burton said.

Symbol had also ceased offering professional services and applications directly to customers, she said.

According to A/NZ channels director, Vincent Chiappazzo, ISV partners in particular were opening up new business for Symbol in verticals like transport and logistics with applications around ERP, CRM and middleware.

These opportunities would increase with the launch later this year of the company’s new high-end smart handheld device, the MC70, he added.