Monday Morning Impact – May 15

Salesforce Launches New AppExchange Partner Program

Salesforce has launched its new Salesforce AppExchange Partner Program aimed at helping developers, startups or ISVs to build, market and sell intelligent apps.

“The convergence of AI, IoT and massive datasets has created incredible new opportunities for developers to move beyond the app—and build components, intelligent bots, data streams and more,” said Leyla Seka, executive vice president of AppExchange, Salesforce. “The new AppExchange Partner Program empowers the next generation of Salesforce ISVs with a single destination for everything they need to succeed.”

The new AppExchange Partner Program, replacing the current ISV Partner Program, includes a new pricing structure that provides enablement and support based on the partner’s AppExchange Trailblazer Score—a new, point-based system founded upon customer sat scores, technology adoption, training, and other factors.

Salesforce is lowering the baseline percent-net-revenue (PNR) model for all new AppExchange Partner Program partners from 25 percent to 15 percent. Existing partners are eligible for the new PNR terms upon renewal of their current contracts.

New onboarding tools and other resources have also been added, along with a $100 million budget for investments in entrepreneurs and companies that are building transformative apps around the Salesforce platform.

Channel Impact^®
Much of the company’s success is based on the applications that can be leveraged and developed with forward-looking qualities. This program is clearly designed to facilitate those efforts.

CenturyLink announces combined company senior leadership team

CenturyLink has unveiled the list of its new management team that will be in place upon closing of the Level 3 acquisition. The senior leadership team will include:

Clay Bailey, senior vice president, transformation, who will lead the integration of CenturyLink and Level 3, and automation and simplification in the combined company.

Dean Douglas, executive vice president, North America enterprise, who will be responsible for sales, revenue generation and enterprise service delivery in the company’s North American markets. He also will have responsibility for the company’s national/business technicians.

Gary Gauba, senior vice president, chief relationship officer, who will be responsible for building strong, trust-based relationships with the C-suite executives of the company’s top customers and also will continue to lead the advanced solutions group.

Stacey Goff, executive vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer, who will lead the company’s legal, corporate strategy, business development and mergers and acquisitions functions.

Aamir Hussain, executive vice president, chief technology officer and network operations, who will be responsible for product development, platforms and infrastructure and information technology.

Maxine Moreau, executive vice president, consumer, who will be responsible for sales, marketing and service delivery for the company’s local market consumer operations in 37 states, including field technicians.

Laurinda Pang, executive vice president, global accounts management and international, who will be responsible for sales, revenue generation and enterprise service delivery for the company’s top global accounts and for the company’s APAC, EMEA and LATAM markets.

Sunit Patel, executive vice president, chief financial officer, as previously announced, who will be responsible for the company’s domestic and international finance and accounting functions.

Scott Trezise, executive vice president, human resources, who will lead all domestic and international human resources functions.

Girish Varma, executive vice president, IT and managed services, who will be responsible for technology/strategic consulting, big data, managed security services and managed hosting.

CenturyLink previously announced that shareholders of both companies as well as several states have already approved or cleared the company’s acquisition of Level 3. The company continues to anticipate closing the transaction by the end of third quarter 2017.

Channel Impact^®
A solid management team is always important, particularly in the midst of acquisitions and other major changes.

One Identity Rolls Out Partner Program

One Identity, an Aliso Viejo, CA-based identity and access management vendor operating as a business within Quest Software, has announced the launch of the One Identity Partner Circle, the company’s new multi-tier global partner program.

“Customers have told us repeatedly that they need to work with business partners who can solve their problems by demonstrating true expertise in the solutions they are selling,” said Josh Lewis, director for North American channels and alliances at One Identity. “To make sure our partners deliver on that promise, our program sets consistent global standards for competence while at the same time providing partners with the tools, resources and incentives they need to deepen and strengthen their expertise on our solutions.“

The program is designed to support a range of go-to-market models with incentives for resellers, influencers and delivery partners with a particular emphasis and positive track record in the identity management space.

Program components include training, delivery enablement and sales support backed by a new sales portal.

Channel Impact^®
Identity management has emerged as one of the strategic underpinnings of any solid IT security strategy. The adoption and expansion of channel programs supporting this area can help propel vendors, as well as their channel partners, to new levels.