Avaya today announced a new streamlined channel program that gives partners the flexibility to meet their customers’ needs in today’s fast-paced digital marketplace, while providing greater rewards for those partners that deliver exceptional value. This new program—Avaya EdgeSM— will help drive mutual profitability and better equip partners with the skills needed to help customers achieve their Digital Transformation objectives.

“The strength of a channel program is the degree to which it enables the success of its partners, and recognizes and applauds their unique capabilities as they apply them to serve our customers. In response to the feedback provided by our partners and customers, we are introducing the Avaya Edge program to provide the flexibility required in the market today, within a supportive structure. This new program empowers our channel partners to take our innovative solutions into the marketplace and help our customers achieve their digital business goals,” said Fadi Moubarak, Channel Leader, Europe and AMEA, Avaya.

Key elements of the program include a simplified structure. Streamlined requirements and new gem designation levels—Diamond, Sapphire and Emerald—reduce complexity and the resources needed for partners to manage the program. For example, the Avaya Edge reduces the amount of time partners previously required to complete credentials by up to 50%, and partner co-delivery performance metrics have been reduced 56%.

Partners are now compensated for a broader scope of revenue, including not only hardware/product sales as well as recurring services and software. In addition, new incentives will reward partners for strategic areas of achievement, such as customer value, growth and new product adoption.

The new program is better structured to accommodate and adapt to ever-changing industry, customer and partner dynamics. The introduction of five partner tracks aligns with their go-to-market model, and maps partner revenue targets and rewards based on track and geographic region.

To support the transition, existing authorized partners are evaluated under both the previous and new programs and awarded at the higher level for the first six months.

“Organizations of all sizes in the Middle East and Africa region are looking to work with technology partners that can give them greater flexibility and agility so they can better meet their customers’ expectations. As Avaya has successfully transitioned into a software-and-services led company, it needed to change its channel program to reflect this transformation. The Avaya Edge partner program will better enable us as a enterprise partner to help our customers meet their digital transformation objectives and equip us with the skills and support we need to bring Avaya’s cutting-edge solutions to the market,” said Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, PACC MDS.