2021 Partner Program Guide: 5-Star Distributor Programs

CRN designated the partner programs of these distributors as 5-Star.

Keeping The Channel Moving

Distributors, of course, are organized to efficiently move products from IT manufacturers to smaller VARs and solution providers – as they did in 2020 when demand for laptops, Chromebooks and other devices spiked because millions of workers were forced to work at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in recent years distributors have been expanding beyond their traditional distribution role to provide their channel customers with a range of technical, marketing and financial services, education and training, and cloud subscription management assistance.

The CRN 2021 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the distributors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors and distributors – more than 275 this year – outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, training, services and benefits.

Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees among distributors. Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at /partner-program-guide/ppg2021.htm.

Other slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series running this week include companies that provide products and services for systems and data centers, cloud platforms and infrastructure, networking and unified communications, security, software, and data storage and backup. While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slide show for the technology category in which they are most prominent.

Pax8

Program Name: Wingman Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Channel Chief: Ryan Walsh, Channel Chief, Chief Product Officer

Companies reveal their partner program goals for 2021: Pax8 is focused on being strategically aligned with partners. New tools, technology innovations and enhanced services will enable partners to increase sales to their current customer base while acquiring new customers.

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2021-details.htm?c=168

Synnex

Program Name: Synnex Comstor Customer Experience

Year Program Established: 2015

Channel Chief: Jay Denton, SVP, GM, Comstor North America

Companies reveal their partner program goals for 2021: The distributor is setting ambitious goals for growing recurring revenue at resellers. Customers want subscription models, and resellers that can deliver them are going to be preferred providers.

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2021-details.htm?c=229

Synnex

Program Name: Synnex Westcon Secure Networking

Year Program Established: 2018

Channel Chief: Reyna Thompson, SVP, Product Management

Companies reveal their partner program goals for 2021: The distributor would like to see at least 50 percent growth in participating partner and vendor year-over-year revenue in 2021.

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2021-details.htm?c=232

Tech Data

Program Name: Digital Security Practice Builder

Year Program Established: 2020

Channel Chief: Francisco Criado, Global VP, Security Solutions

Companies reveal their partner program goals for 2021: Since it launched last April, over 500 partner contacts have signed up for Digital Security Practice Builder. In addition to focusing on building new training, it aims to ensure partners are leveraging training to help drive new opportunities.

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2021-details.htm?c=235