3Com takes award-winning focus channel programme to the next level in Emea
EMEA, 29 October 2001 – As hundreds of 3Com’s top tier channel partners from across Europe, Middle East and Africa gathered last week in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, for 3Com’s premier partner training event, 3Com University Live!, 3Com Corporation announced the introduction of further enhancements to its leading Focus channel programme. The new developments to the programme will not only improve ongoing partner communications, but will also allow 3Com to provide strategy differentiation to its partners, based on their individual product focus and customer relationship strengths.
"3Com is firmly committed to maintaining a sales model that is focused purely on the channel," explains Stanimira Koleva, international channel sales director at 3Com’s Business Networks Company. "The new initiatives announced will enable 3Com to help partners with particular technology or customer market strengths offer the most appropriate solution to businesses across EMEA. We want to continue to make it easy and profitable for partners to do business with 3Com."
Since its inception in June 2000, more than 45,000 channel partners have registered with the 3Com Focus programme. As part of this programme, 3Com has invested $20 million in building a highly effective telesales and telemarketing team, Focal Point, consisting of more than 100 staff - covering 19 languages - involved in partner support and end user lead generation. During the last year, this organisation was responsible for making 500,000 partner calls and generated over 12,000 well-qualified leads for these partners resulting in approximately $500 million in revenues. 3Com’s channel partners are further supported by 250 account managers, 85 experienced technical managers and 30 dedicated service support staff across EMEA. In addition, Partner Access, 3Com’s online partner support tool, receives more than 100,000 hits per month.
Key new elements of 3Com’s Focus channel programme include:
Creation of four new types of specialised authorisations:
- Systems authorisation, with 95 prominent systems integrators already registered
- Vertical sector authorisation
- Service providers
- Mail order partners
Targeted business tools from 3Com for each of these new categories
Further roll-out across more countries in EMEA of the In Focus incentive programme which rewards partners with marketing funds
Taking the product evaluation programme to the next level by introducing "try before you buy" initiatives and allowing partners to "borrow" products for up to one month to support shows and exhibition without incurring any costs. Already during the last 12 months, a total of 35,000 evaluation units were provided to partners.
Ongoing development of innovative web tools such as the switch finder, the global reseller locator, the virtual sales kits, and the network designer tool
Unlike some of its competitors, 3Com remains committed to its Trade Up programme, which allows resellers to trade in competitors’ products against new 3Com equipment. Last year, more than 2,000 trade-up deals were logged, resulting in $23 million worth of trade-up business.
Another highly successful element of the 3Com Focus channel programme is 3Com University, 3Com’s extensive global partner training initiatives. 3Com University offers partners a whole range on online training courses on 3Com’s products and solutions, as well as the 3Com Certified Solutions Associate and Expert qualifications. Throughout the year, the Partners3 roadshow visits over 90 cities all over EMEA to offer channel partners practical training and live demonstrations of all 3Com’s products. 3Com University Live! taking place this week is 3Com’s premier training event where approximately 500 top Gold and Silver channel partners from across EMEA come together for intensive training and feedback sessions.
About 3Com Corporation
3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use connectivity products and solutions for people and businesses. The company also provides access infrastructures and IP services platforms for network service providers. For further information, visit www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.
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