Dell empowering its partners with new competencies and expertise

Dell Technologies has always been dedicated to digitally enabling its partners and VARs as they play a critical role in the company’s success. In 2023, channel partners contributed almost 50% of its net revenue. Having said this, the company now aims to further their growth and has identified a few growth areas like Data Science & AI, Edge Solutions, and Sustainability & ESG. 

Dell is investing in these new competencies that are aligned with customer demands and empowering its partners with the expertise so that they can capitalize on the market trends and fulfill customer needs. Vivek Malhotra, Senior Director - India Channels, Dell Technologies while discussing with VARINDIA on how Dell empowers the partners,  talks about Dell’s partner program and how it designs a fair and transparent partnership model -

How are you digitally empowering partners and VARs?
Data and technology are transforming organizations in every corner of the world. As we collectively digitize nearly every aspect of life and business, organizations rely on enabling technology infrastructure to collect, store and generate insights from data. The right IT solutions can help support data-driven digital experiences for partners and customers and run sophisticated and secure workloads such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) that help build a digital future and accelerate business forward.

At Dell, we are dedicated to digitally empowering our partners and Value-Added Resellers (VARs), we provide technology, expertise and support they need to drive profitable growth and success. In the 2024 Dell Technologies Partner Program, we're investing in key growth areas such as Data Science & AI, Edge Solutions, and Sustainability & ESG. These new competencies validate partners' expertise in emerging technologies and enable them to capitalize on market opportunities, such as the growing demand for AI-driven solutions and sustainable IT practices. We are also investing in new market opportunities by launching three new competencies: Data Science & AI, Edge Solutions, and Sustainability & ESG. These competencies aim to equip partners with the expertise needed to capitalize on emerging market trends and address evolving customer needs.

With a focus on seizing emerging opportunities and delivering value to customers, Dell is poised for continued success in the dynamic landscape of technology. We are modernizing the online experience by expanding digital connectivity, providing partners with self-serve capabilities to reduce touch from configure to order and empowering them with future-ready tools to help unlock profit potential.

How important is the Partner Program for your organization to drive business growth?
Partners are critical to Dell’s success. In 2023 our partners contributed approximately 50% of our net revenue and more than 60% of all new and reactivated buyers. With this foundation of strong partnerships, we have an opportunity to further grow and modernize the core business in the year to come.

Dell Technologies offers one of the industry’s broadest portfolios, from client devices to the data center, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to driving positive impact for business, people and the planet. The 2024 Dell Technologies Partner Program is investing in key growth areas aligned with customer priorities by launching three new competencies:

●             Data Science & AI Competency
●             Edge Solutions Competency
●             Sustainability & ESG Competency

This year GenAI will move from proof of concept to proof of productivity and is forecasted to be a $158.6B opportunity for the channel ecosystem by 2028. Partners that can demonstrate capability with AI, edge and multicloud solutions are the best positioned to capitalize on this market opportunity. The new Data Science & AI Competency and Edge Solutions Competency will validate partners’ expertise on Dell’s offerings.

What are the key steps you undertake while designing a fair and transparent partnership model to create a thriving and connected ecosystem?
Dell Technologies’ partner program has been rated as one of the best in the industry. With the partner feedback process we have in place, we have found that even our partners view our program as simple, predicable and profitable. We are committed to investing in our partner’s end-to-end experience with us and are excited for the opportunities that will allow Dell Technologies and its partners to create together, partnering for the future.

We are keeping our program structure and engagement with partners consistent while we continue to invest in key focus areas. We design our rules of engagement (ROE) around deal registration and to govern our internal sales team behavior in a way that promotes customer choice while protecting the integrity of our partner program principles. We make sure that partners are engaged and understand all the capabilities that we have. We listen to their feedback, and we will continue to review our operational model to ensure we’re optimizing and simplifying our engagement with partners, which we know is important to both our partners and our sales teams.