Dell Technologies and Cisco have announced relief efforts to help channel partners overcome rising challenges related to COVID-19.
Cisco this week introduced what it’s calling a new Business Resiliency Program that’s offered through Cisco Capital, the vendor’s financing business. The program includes $2.5 billion in financing to provide organizations with access to solutions and other resources.
Unsurprisingly, cash flow has been a major concern for partners, as well as customers. Cisco says the Business Resiliency Program includes an up-front 90-day payment holiday and allows a customer to defer 95 cent of the cost of a new product or solution until 2021. Partners specifically, according to Cisco, will get an additional boost through this program by accelerating sales cycles and allowing partners to offer customers unique payment solutions.
“Cisco Capital’s goal is to make it easier for customers and partners to acquire the technology they need to keep their businesses running and productive. Their success is our priority,” said Kristine A. Snow, senior vice-president and president, Cisco Capital, in a press release. “The new Business Resiliency Program is designed with this in mind and will help address some of our customer’s most pressing concerns.”
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Meanwhile, Dell Technologies announced its own relief programs for struggling partners. In a recent blog post, Joyce Mullen, Dell Technologies’ global channel chief, indicated that partners can get one-time cash payouts for up to 50 per cent of current partner Market Development Fund (MDF) / Business Development Fund (BDF) balances for use towards future marketing activities.
Partners can apply for this at any time between April 13 and June 20, 2020 and will receive “immediate payment upfront” upon approval.
“For our metaled solutions providers, we are offering fee-waived Services Deployment training for Unity XT, VxRail and DP4400 from now until May 31, 2020, ensuring that eligible partners continue to build valuable capabilities during this time,” Mullen wrote.
Dell is also introducing new team-based pricing options for solutions providers, extending unspent earned MDF and BDF that was scheduled to expire between March and July, and removing the 1H FY21 client solutions growth targets and increasing base rates for distributors to “improve predictability of earnings.”
