Networking News
Gina Narcisi
‘Now, with the new team we have in place, the new programs we have in place, and how we organize to support the customer, it’s like everything is positioned to really emphasize channel,’ Extreme CEO Ed Meyercord tells CRN.
Channel-led Extreme Networks has revealed a series of new partner program updates that are leading with cloud-based networking and security solutions.
The company took to its Ignite Partner conference in Boston on Tuesday to share the new elements of the partner program, which includes badges and certifications, expanded training options, grant writing support and customer success programs. Extreme’s partners are watching the company win with its cloud-first solution that inspires networking simplicity, and as a result, Extreme is taking share from its competitors, like Cisco Systems, according to the company’s CEO, Ed Meyercord.
“We’re the right size company to work with. People feel like when they work with Extreme they can make a difference and they can influence our decision making. I’m not sure that’s true with our competitors,” he told CRN ahead of the conference.
Extreme on Tuesday introduced three new partner certification badges to designate solution providers versed in these areas or verticals. The new State and Local Government Partners Badge will highlight preferred partners for state and local government customer solution delivery in their region. It will also deliver these partners access to specialized collateral including webinars, as well as market development funds in specific cases. The Sports and Entertainment Delivery Partner Badge will approve partners for stadium solution installations for sports and entertainment customer solution delivery in their region. This badge also qualifies partners to participate in sponsorship opportunities as they are available. Finally, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Badge will deliver partners the chance to work with Extreme on community-based initiatives and help these solution providers stand out in the marketplace.
The updated partner program includes new training materials, including technical training on Extreme Fabric Connect, bonus sales content and a product-focused livestream series. Extreme will launch the Extreme Certified Professional Program, an expanded and modular curriculum through a new video portal in 0223. Current Extreme Certified Specialist badge holders will be able to up-level their training through new courses to qualify as an Extreme Certified Professional later this year, the company said.
San Jose, Calif.-based Extreme is also extending its customer success programs to help partners and customers ensure sustainable value through the lifecycle of Extreme subscriptions by encouraging adoption and usage via hands-on tutorials. End customers will benefit from accelerated activation and onboarding, documented success plans and quicker implementations, while partners can Strengthen customer loyalty and better identify new cross-sell and upsell opportunities, Extreme said.
Lastly, the company is introducing grant writing services to help eligible customers tap into and secure potentially millions of dollars of grant funds that are available each year for networking projects. The team will help customers and partners identify funding opportunities for global projects and create proposal and grant narratives and provide management and assistance throughout the grant award process, including successful project implementation plans once grants are awarded.
Partners As Force Multipliers
“One of the things that we had was the number of customers that we had transacting with Extreme — doing over a million dollars in business — grew 30 percent over the course of this past year, and that is a direct result of the work we’re doing with the channel,” Meyercord said.
Extreme during its final fiscal quarter of 2022, which ended June 30, landed a couple of very big customer deals, including LG Electronics and SK Telecom. Those wins, according to Meyercord, were the result of Extreme embracing the channel with these large customers for the first time, rather than working directly with customers of this size.
“We’ve seen a huge number of new logo wins that are outside the traditional business. Why? Because of the channel. It’s kind of another proof point. The evidence is really overwhelming that it’s really time for us to go take share,” he said of the company’s record growth and high-profile customer wins in the last quarter of the year.
The vendor also made important investments in channel headcount in 2022, including Scott Peterson, who joined in January as the company’s channel chief. Peterson formerly served as UC provider Mitel’s chief revenue officer after spending more than ten years at Verizon, most recently as vice president and general manager overseeing the carrier’s small business customer segment. Jennifer Orr, Extreme’s new vice president of Americas Channels, joined the company in June. No stranger to the channel, she previously served as vice president of master agents for Mitel.
Extreme at IGNITE also announced three product leaders that have been promoted to new executive positions. The company’s Senior Vice President of Operations Cristian Mircea has been named chief development officer; Markus Nispel, vice president of International markets, has been crowned chief technology officer for EMEA; and Extreme’s vice president of product management and engineering, Dan DeBacker, has been promoted to senior vice president of products.
“Now, with the new team we have in place, the new programs we have in place, and how we organize to support the customer, it’s like everything is positioned to really emphasize channel,” Meyercord said.
Extends support throughout the entire lifecycle of cloud adoption
HERNDON, Va., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ePlus inc. (NASDAQ NGS: PLUS) (news) today announced the general availability of ePlus Cloud Managed Services (ECMS) for Microsoft Azure. Designed to offload the task of managing Azure deployments, ePlus Cloud Managed Services allow organizations to focus on driving their business and competitive differentiation while ePlus helps optimize cloud costs and leverages proven security best practices to reduce risk.
ePlus Cloud Managed Services deliver fully US-based, 24x7x365 proactive support and specialized cloud expertise from certified engineers and technical architects who deeply understand cloud and how it fits into modern application deployments. The offering includes:
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Well-Architected configuration and automated deployment to speed time to market
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Security and governance of workloads running on Azure to decrease risk with hardened, best practice configuration and ongoing validation
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FinOps methodology for cost-optimized Azure consumption
"ePlus Cloud Managed Services are designed to alleviate many of the challenges we see our customers face when it comes to managing complex public cloud environments and workloads," said Justin Mescher, vice president of cloud and data center solutions at ePlus. "We help ease the transition to cloud by addressing the most common roadblocks—skillsets, cost management, and security—freeing time spent managing their Azure foundation so our customers can focus on driving innovation by optimizing and modernizing applications. ePlus Cloud Managed Services extend our best-of-breed approach to the ongoing management and optimization of Azure to complete the lifecycle of cloud adoption support."
For more information about ePlus Cloud Managed Services, visit the company website.
About ePlus inc.
ePlus has an unwavering and relentless focus on leveraging technology to create inspired and transformative business outcomes for its customers. Offering a robust portfolio of solutions, as well as a full set of consultative and managed services across the technology spectrum, ePlus has proudly achieved more than 30 years of success in the business, carrying customers forward through adversity, rapidly changing environments, and other obstacles. ePlus is a trusted advisor, bringing expertise, credentials, talent and a thorough understanding of innovative technologies, spanning security, cloud, data center, networking, collaboration and emerging solutions, to organizations across all industry segments. With complete lifecycle management services and flexible payment solutions, ePlus' more than 1,500 associates are focused on cultivating positive customer experiences and are dedicated to their craft, harnessing new knowledge while applying decades of proven experience. ePlus is headquartered in Virginia, with offices in the United States, UK, Europe, and Asia‐Pacific. For more information, visit www.eplus.com, call 888-482-1122, or email info@eplus.com. Connect with ePlus on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. ePlus, Where Technology Means More®.
ePlus®, Where Technology Means More®, and ePlus products referenced herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ePlus inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of other companies, products, and services mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements." actual and anticipated future results may vary materially due to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the duration and impact of COVID-19 and the efficacy of vaccine roll-outs, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and has resulted worldwide in governmental authorities imposing numerous unprecedented measures to try to contain the virus that has impacted and may further impact our workforce and operations, the operations of our customers, and those of our respective vendors, suppliers, and partners; national and international political instability fostering uncertainty and volatility in the global economy including an economic downturn, an increase in tariffs or adverse changes to trade agreements, exposure to fluctuation in foreign currency rates, interest rates and downward pressure on prices; our ability to successfully perform due diligence and integrate acquired businesses; the possibility of goodwill impairment charges in the future; reduction of vendor incentive programs; significant adverse changes in, reductions in, or losses of relationships with one or more of our largest volume customers or vendors; the demand for and acceptance of, our products and services; our ability to adapt our services to meet changes in market developments; our ability to implement comprehensive plans to achieve customer account coverage for the integration of sales forces, cost containment, asset rationalization, systems integration and other key strategies; our ability to reserve adequately for credit losses; our ability to secure our electronic and other confidential information or that of our customers or partners and remain secure during a cyber-security attack; future growth rates in our core businesses; our ability to protect our intellectual property; the impact of competition in our markets; the possibility of defects in our products or catalog content data; our ability to adapt to changes in the IT industry and/or rapid change in product standards; our ability to realize our investment in leased equipment; our ability to hire and retain sufficient qualified personnel; and other risks or uncertainties detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information set forth in this press release is current as of the date of this release and ePlus undertakes no duty or obligation to update this information.
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SOURCE ePlus inc.
