With Internet fast becoming an integral part of every business, more and more IT vendors are taking advantage of this ubiquitous mechanism by dedicating exclusive web-space for channel partners on their website for disseminating information and online transactions. Read on to find out whether these exclusive efforts for the channel partners are effective enough.

Almost all the top IT vendors operating through channel partners in the country were found to have some web-space kept aside on the Internet for their channel partners. But what was surprising was that only a few technology vendors made the most of the online mechanism, probably because of the minimal interest shown by channel partners in spending time online.

It was found that vendors used their website only for providing information such as product specifications, giving details of schemes, technical documents, downloads, warranty look-up, and only in some case was it found that the websites were being used for a little bit of transactions or processing of incentive claims.

DQ Channels spoke to some of the leading channel partners and found that the websites hosted by IBM, Intel and Acer figured as the most used by channel partners. These vendors have not only allotted a dedicated space on their websites for partners to login, they have also made it mandatory for most channel partners to connect with them for many transactions.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that vendors have provided exclusive sign-on provisions for channel partners, the feedback from the channel community was that they rarely make use of the online facility. Many vendors like Seagate, Molex, Hitachi, Tyco, SAP, Fujitsu, Emerson and Cisco among others, have recently begun consciously promoting the presence of the exclusive space they are providing for channel partners on their website.

Companies like Canon, Samsung, Epson, MSI, Mercury, HP, Lenovo, LG, Viewsonic, AsusTek, AMD, Sun, D-Link, Linksys and Quantum get a high number of channel partners visiting their sites when the partners do a search for product specific information. Besides product specifications all these vendors are also known for the information they provide on the series of schemes they run for channels partners from time to time.

According to channel partners, most vendors make use of the Internet only for sending e-mails. Many a times, details of any promotion schemes are also sent as e-mail. "We get all the information via e-mails. So there is no question of logging in to the website to get more information. It is only when we miss the e-mail that we attempt to get the scheme details from the website," informed a channel partners.

Best of all
IBM figured as one the best vendors in terms of involving their partners in the online mechanism for various reasons. First of all, the entire PartnerWorld program of IBM is tracked regularly on an online dedicated website. The site is also a repository of knowledge base, information, opportunities and business for its partners. The website is exclusively meant for channel partners, and only registered members get to enter the site. All IBM partners log in from the same site but each one gets a different website as per their level of partnership and the products they deal in. IBM has effectively categorized each partner to use only what is meant for them respectively. "It looks like a lot of intelligence is fed into this website from the way it tracks what I did in the past and what I will be using every time I log in," said an IBM premier partner.

One of the best features that sport the IBM PartnerWorld website is its ability to lock enquires by channel partners on the website about a potential customer. The site also provides information and leads on many verticals and the opportunities that lie within. Besides involving the partner for its business needs, the website also carries a wealth of knowledge base regarding technology and deployment of its solutions.

Just like any other channel friendly website, IBM PartnerWorld also features a warranty look-up mechanism for all its products starting from entry-level to high-end. Another interesting feature of the IBM website is the interactive training modules provided such as video conferencing, especially for partners, or some times just a video download.

Apart from these, the site also features pages to help partners make their claims for the various incentive schemes. There are provisions for the sales representatives of the channel partners to get involved in the PartnerWorld program in case claims are meant for them.

All these put together gives a glimpse of how effectively IBM is making use of its online resources to help channel partners and the company grow.

Others follow
Interestingly, many companies have attempted similar things in bits and pieces. But, most of them eventually churn out static web pages providing updates on latest products and technologies. Almost all of them are known for providing driver download on their support links. However, these are not exclusive to channel partners. Even customers and end-users have access to this information.

In the case of Intel, the large number of hits by channel partners is always to find out the latest products launched by Intel and to track the product roadmap. "Ever now and then, you will find a new range of products being launched by Intel. And the fastest mechanism to keep track of the latest in the market is to check their website," said an Intel partner. According to him, Intel carries a vast amount of information, technical documents, product specification, support knowledge, and many other roadmap information for both end-users and channel partners.

Although Intel has made user-friendly provisions to access products through pull-down and search menus, the large base of information sometimes makes it irritating for channel partners to scan through them. At times, this also discourages partners from using the website. According to partners, the wide range of products and the mammoth information that floats on the Internet is discouraging people from using the website. "Instead, we prefer the brochures that we receive through mails and post," said one reseller.

Intel's web-link for channel partners is called the Intel Reseller Center. The site, which boasts of being a site with resources for channel partners to boost sales and win customers, has got only standard features hosted in any other vendor websites.

However, the dynamic nature of the products and the popularity of the brand keep the vendors on their toes. "By-and-large the information that we get on the Intel website is very much the latest," quiped an Intel partner.

A look at the Intel Reseller Center shows links pointing at: 'What's new', 'Products and Platforms', 'Solutions for Consumers and Business', and 'Purchasing Information', which in any case are the most common bits of information known to the Intel channel partners due to the regular awareness Intel creates among resellers during the dealer meets they conduct across the country.

Apart from that some links also lead the surfer to details of member promotions, sales and marketing, training and events, support and downloads and program membership.

All the above are again summarized by quick links pointing at:

• Membership number – what is it and why is it important

• Intel APAC sales center

• Sales guides

• Product briefs

• Channel warranty requests

• Intel technical notifications

Partners dealing with Acer products also have a few good words to say about their vendor's website. According to them, Acer always runs their schemes using the websites link meant for channel partners as a strict medium to interact with partners. "This has helped the company in maintaining all the promotional activities for desktops and laptops transparent in its dealings," exclaimed an Acer partner.

According to him, right from registration to processing to settling of claims, everything is done on the Internet. "The partners have to take a printout of the claim statement that is generated online and submit it while making the actual claim," he said. Going by the feedback that we received, Acer's online system appears to be the next best site after IBM's PartnerWorld where channel friendliness is concerned.

Quick check
DQ Channels did a quick check with some of the key solutions providers and found that many channel partners visit websites only for some technical update or to check the warranty status of products. But this is also very rarely done, and mostly only in a situation when there is a dispute with the customers on warranty related issues.

Names of companies like Seagate, Samsung, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Cisco, Juniper, D-Link, Trend Micro, SAP, Quantum, Oracle, Epson, Mercury, Fujitsu and AMD, came up among channel partners seeking technology update of their products, downloads and warranty look-ups.

Recently, Microsoft has been actively promoting its website reference on Windows Genuine Advantage program among channel partners. However, we did not come across many partners who mentioned anything about these sites. Among the few other big names actively promotion their websites exclusively dedicated for channel partners were Molex with www.molexpnpartner.com, Seagate with http://spp.seagate.com, Hitachi with www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/partners, Tyco with www.ampnetconnect.com, and Fujitsu with www.primergy.fujitsu.com.

Despite all the promotions that vendors carry out in order to get partners to transact online, it is observed that a minimal number of channel partners make use of the online facility. Most of the times it is the systems integrators (SIs) and solution providers (SPs) who use the Internet for technical updates and to keep a track on the product roadmap. Resellers and retailers rarely make use of such online mechanisms unless they are forced to by their participation in some scheme where in the incentives claims have to be done compulsorily online.

NELSON JOHNY

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