Red Hat Inc. recently announced what it described as the “transformation” of its global partner program, which it said will provide improved simplicity, choice, and flexibility to its partners.
The move will see the company launch a new program framework, introduce upgraded tools to enable streamlined cross-collaboration, and provide easier access to critical technology, training, and resources.
Stefanie Chiras, senior vice president, partner ecosystem success at Red Hat, said the changes send “a clear signal to our partners that Red Hat is prioritizing the ecosystem as the leading catalyst for customer value.
“In order to deliver on the promise of hybrid cloud with customers, it is critical that we innovate collectively and transparently, and empower partners with easy access to information and shared data so we can address our customers’ unique challenges as a united front.”
The new initiative includes:
Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program, which focuses on “identifying, enabling, validating and incentivizing partners within the commercial segment, including mid-market and SMB (small medium business) customers,” the company said. With it, a release stated, Red Hat is “empowering partners to lead the full commercial customer lifecycle while providing differentiated and impactful business outcomes using Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat OpenShift.”
Bolstering partner enablement and training resources: To support its updated model, the firm said it is investing in making resources, expertise, and open source offerings more accessible to partners to help them operate more seamlessly with customers.
Red Hat Demo Platform, to be made available through Red Hat Partner Connect, will provide product demos that, the company said, will “span the Red Hat portfolio for partners to showcase open source innovations with customers in a low-risk environment. The platform includes multi-product demos and workshops that can be used to deliver one- or two-day experiences for customers.”
Plans call for the updated partner engagement model and programming to launch in the second half of 2024, while the Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program is an invite-only program now open to eligible partners globally. Red Hat Demo Platform is scheduled to be available in May.
Fred Patterson, the ecosystem director for Red Hat Canada, said, “the goal here is to build, connect and catalyze an open ecosystem of partners, so together we deliver customer-relevant solutions on Red Hat technologies.
“Nothing is changing overnight – it is an evolution,” he said.
“This updated program strategy will help us engage more simply and transparently with our partners, co-create relevant solutions and accelerate partner business growth.”
Previously, said Patterson, the partner program experience was “more linear and based on partner identity (i.e., by sell, service, build partners). While partners could participate in more than one route, interconnection between the routes could sometimes be clunky and not very clear.
“Now, we are implementing a new framework based on ‘modules’ that promotes greater flexibility, choice, and transparency for partners, allowing them to move more seamlessly across different activities and routes to market.
“This will provide a standardized approach for partners to engage with Red Hat across multiple motions, all under a common tiering system so they can be recognized holistically for the full scope of their activities with Red Hat.”
