SAP Extends Global Partner Program

SAP will broaden its PartnerEdge initiative to include all partners involved in building, selling and implementing services for its products.

The extended program will also target companies of all sizes, the company said Tuesday.

When the PartnerEdge program was launched in 2005, it was aimed at independent software vendors (ISVs) focused on developing services for SAP Business One and mySAP All-in-One applications and at value-added resellers (VARs) selling and implementing them. Small and midsize businesses were the primary customer group.

In addition to ISVs and VARs, the extended program will now reach out to system integrators and other technology partners and to companies both big and small.

Since its launch, PartnerEdge has introduced an e-learning curriculum available in nine languages to more than 2,000 partners, an online partner collaboration network involving 3,000 users and more than 300 partner systems, in addition to an ongoing global sales training program, SAP said.

In conjunction with its extended PartnerEdge program, SAP has added several enhancements to its Partner Service Benefits Package. These include: the Partner Services Advisor, who serves as a single point of contact for inquiries and guidance on organization and content-related actives; Technical Services, which put partners in touch with SAP experts managing product development and implementation; Enablement Support, which provides “how-to” information on integrating and certifying services; and Knowledge Transfer, which provides 24-hour access to a predefined set of online self-service business and technical education offerings.

-John Blau, IDG News Service (Dusseldorf Bureau)

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