Databarracks disrupts the channel with launch of Databarracks Partner (de)Programme

“We are calling this the de-programme because this is a very different approach to the partner programmes we are all used to. In the past, channel partners have been victims of complexity. Ultimately, the point of any channel partnership for both parties is to reach more customers. Applying labels and jargon only obfuscates that core purpose.

“The truth is that customers don’t care whether you’re a ‘Gold Certified Preferred Partner’ or if you’ve sat through hours of vendor training. They just want reliable and cost-effective services. We’ve taken a different approach by launching a programme that puts our partners and their customers back at the centre of our operations.”

Peter Groucutt, managing director at Databarracks, offered further comment: “The vast majority of channel programmes are broken. They’ve been too prescriptive without offering enough individual support or incentive for partners to thrive. In our experience every partner has a unique set of requirements and rarely fits into a neat category. The best partnerships we have with our software vendors are the ones where we know the teams well and we truly feel like we’re working together. It is the same for our channel partners. Our most successful partners are the ones who work with us and take advantage of our resources to sell more and better support their customers. This programme is about providing personalised partnerships that support the strengths of the individual.

“It also means we’ve been able to get rid of red tape entirely. Access to resources, support and market development funds have been streamlined to make the whole process of acquiring and executing on new business much simpler.

“We have been providing backup, disaster recovery and infrastructure services for over ten years and in our opinion the key to being successful is really looking after your customers and providing a high quality of service. Good service is the key to building successful long-term relationships both with customers and with partners.

“There are an increasing number of cloud service providers and partner programmes to choose from. There are cheap and low quality services that offer the channel the opportunity for big mark-ups but inevitably lead to massive customer churn. On the other hand, there are the types of services we provide that offer the chance build long term, profitable relationships.

“The general trend and shift to cloud services is well documented, but businesses are all at very different stages along that journey. We are offering partners a full suite of services from the hot topics of backup and disaster recovery to Hosted Exchange and IaaS.

“Databarracks is exhibiting on stand 1010 at Cloud Expo at ExCeL London on the 26th and 27th of February. I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in selling cloud services, or indeed, anyone who’s been disappointed by previous partner programmes, to come and find out more.”