APC Channel Partner Program Be the solution your customers need today Opportunities change at lightning speed. We ll help you keep up. > Differentiate yourself in the marketplace > Match the right solution to the right customer > Develop sales and engineering competencies
Our program is all about you Be the solution your customers need today That s why we ve enhanced our channel partner program: to help you build a solutionsfocused power and cooling practice with increased knowledge and expertise and the tools to differentiate yourself from the pack. And that s why we re more committed than ever to helping you turn market challenges into new opportunities by offering innovative solutions that are easy to sell. Capitalize on market trends Increasing and dynamic power densities. Higher power consumption. Record cooling demands. Greater requirements for energy efficiency. And at the same time, unprecedented reliance on data and IT systems. All these challenges have changed the way customers Font allocate Bauhaus their light budgets. Physical infrastructure used to be an afterthought, now it s first on the agenda. Nobody understands the TM landscape and where the market is headed better than APC by Schneider Electric. Get a blueprint for increased profit The APC Channel Partner Program offers more clearly differentiated program levels that reflect your core competencies and area of expertise. With four levels registered, select, premier and elite you leverage pricing and benefits as you advance. You ll gain unprecedented visibility to where the market is going and where you can take your business. In addition, there are now more tools, support and training to help you move up the ladder. Six critical success factors Foundation to building best-in-class partnerships partner online destination TM Based on partner feedback, we identified six elements for the program to help you develop competencies, seize opportunities, be more profitable, and grow your business long term. These elements constitute the components of our Partner Online Destination (POD), the online embodiment of the APC Channel Partner Program. 2 APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program
The more we know about you, the better we support you Profile The online profile identifies the distinguishing demographics of your core business and competency: your market segment and verticals, your particular value-add, the area(s) of your expertise, and your future ambitions. The more we know about you, the better we can direct all our sales, marketing, and support efforts to meet your needs and expectations. Maximize your business profile and core competencies Alignment The program structure aligns partners into one of four tiers in a way that best maximizes your profile. First, partners are classified by environment (business networks wiring, closet, server room, and data center small, medium, or large). Then within each environment, we have taken our entire product portfolio and allocated the different product families into key disciplines (Power & Power Distribution, Racks & Enclosures, Security & Environmental, Management, and Cooling). A partner s program level is determined by two criteria: (a) the partner s competency as it relates to the relevant disciplines within each environment and (b) the partner s commitment to APC. The different levels of competency and commitment are established by meeting clearly articulated expectations concerning knowledge of the APC product portfolio, training requirements and continuing education, sales and technical proficiency (from design through fulfillment), executive sponsorship, and business planning. Environments Registered Partner Select Partner Premier Partner Business Networks Elite Partner Sm/Med Data Center Large Data Center Familiar with breadth of APC portfolio and channel programs Proactively recognize and identify opportunities Familiar with breadth of APC portfolio and channel programs Familiar with APC resources and tools Identify Wiring closets, server rooms (1 to 3 racks), small to medium data centers Specialized sales and/or technical knowledge in particular environment of discipline; leverages APC expertise for site assessment, configuration, and/or design Proactively promoting APC products and services to customer; leverages APC team for technical and sales support, cooperative business plan, and customer satisfaction Develop Wiring closets, server rooms (1 to 3 racks) Ability to independently identify and configure APC solutions in wiring closets and server rooms; expertise in servers and multiple disciplines/ technologies (monitoring, management, software) Practice built heavily around APC, cooperative business plan, executive sponsorship, staff training, and high customer satisfaction levels Data center white space </- 250 kw, (5 to 100 racks) Ability to independently identify and design APC solutions in the small to medium data center environment; expertise in multiple disciplines/ technologies (monitoring, expertise management, cooling) Practice built around APC, cooperative business plan, executive sponsorship, and high customer satisfaction levels Design Data center gray space > 250 kw, (100 racks plus) Ability to independently identify and design APC solutions in the large data center environment, and design-build/construction management experience; expertise in multiple disciplines/technologies (monitoring, expertise management, cooling) Practice built around APC, cooperative business plan, executive sponsorship, and high customer satisfaction levels Competency in Disciplines Products Solutions APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program 3
Capitalize on today s opportunities through continued education Empowerment Best-in-class training helps you build competencies around APC solutions to solve your customers most challenging problems. This professional education is available as self-paced, on-demand online training, live webinars with industry experts, award-winning Data Center University online courses, and instructor-led classroom training for more hands-on applications. The training is divided into two paths: sales and engineering. The sales path builds proficiency in sales expertise to recognize the customer s business challenges, detect and define the customer s needs, and overcome any objections. The engineering path provides partners with best practices, technical know-how, and the latest breakthroughs in conceptualizing, designing, and implementing critical power and cooling solutions for customers. The training curriculum is organized by certification, environment, disciplines, and delivery types. The system easily identifies the requirements of each individual certification, including your completion status of each course. This best-in-class training tool empowers you to become a trusted adviser with an unmatched level of expertise. POD TV An exciting feature of our POD is POD TV, a dedicated video portal for our partner community that provides training and insight on new technologies, industry trends, and business opportunities. We re constantly adding and updating video, so tune in often. 4 APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program
Create market demand, generate increased awareness, and grow your business Enablement We are committed to providing our partners with quality, high-impact, and proven sales and marketing tools to help you grow your business. APC has been in the marketing vanguard for years unlike other companies, we ve measured what works and what doesn t. Now we enable our channel partners to leverage our collective marketing experience. We have direct mail/e-mail demand-generating templates available online. Co-branded promotional items, newsletter templates, customizable spec sheets, downloadable brochures, and videos on demand all the resources our internal marketing department uses are now available for you as well. Facilitate two-way conversation to network and share best practices Collaboration Partner-to-partner collaboration is designed to provide a vehicle for connecting partners and their complementary value(s). APC channel partners sell across all technologies, environments, verticals, and customer segments increasingly we see partners linking up to mesh their complementary strengths and provide a single seamless solution to customers. Partners who collaborate with other solution providers have grown deeper customer relationships and delivered more value to customers. The APC Partner Online Community provides an interactive environment for one of the industry s largest and most diverse set of partners to share best practices, check out our blogs, find tools, network, and partner with one another. This gated community also facilitates real-time two-way dialogue between APC and our partners. The APC Partner-to-Partner Collaboration Program is designed to connect partners as it relates to sales and construction process in the small, medium, and large data center environments. A partner specializing in one area or industry say, server virtualization or unified communications can collaborate with another who is an expert in Power & Cooling. Each brings their respective expertise to the table to provide the customer with more value, without having to invest themselves in staffing up in those particular areas. APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program 5
Program benefits add up The more you advance, the more you benefit Profit As you progress through each tier of the new program structure, your benefits, privileges, and profit opportunities increase. The program provides financial differentiation to partners, including upfront preferred pricing, an opportunity registration program, back-end incentives, and other programs that ensure the partner relationship is profitable and well worth the commitment to APC. APC Rewards Program The APC Rewards Program handsomely rewards partners that sell select APC products. Channel partners who qualify for the program earn points that can be redeemed for more than a million prizes. Opportunity Registration Program The Opportunity Registration Program rewards partners who identify, develop, and win new APC business opportunities, and, in the absence of APC field participation, create demand for new business and value add through their services. A neutral registration process validates and protects new opportunities to motivate invested partners to generate incremental APC business. Approved opportunities remain registered for six months and are eligible for a special discount. Certified Service Sales Partner Program As a valued APC premier or elite partner with core competency in the three-phase and cooling data center market, you will be eligible to enroll in the Certified Service Sales Partner (CSSP) Program. Our Service Sales Partners receive preferred pricing, proactive notification of opportunities, business leads, and life cycle opportunity management of their customers installed base. The CSSP Program provides dedicated partner support, helping to deliver end-to-end solutions to customers for the life of their equipment while strengthening the partner-customer relationship through effective service delivery. Benefits Partner Portal Partner Locator Listing Opportunity Registration Program Identify Registered Select Premier Elite Partner Partner Partner Partner Business Network Sm/Med Data Center Design Marketing Development Funds Dedicated Sales Support Try and Buy Program Priority Technical Support & Sales Support Partner Opportunity Program APC Rewards Program Data Center Incentive Program Online Marketing Center Demo Equipment Certified Service Sales Partner Program Eligibility 6 APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program
Program Requirements Requirements vary by certification level Program membership is based on fulfillment of the requirements detailed below Competency Requirements Certification Title Registered Select Premier Elite Partner Partner Partner Partner Business Network Sm/Med Data Center Registered Member 1 Sales Associate 1 1 Sales Professional 1 2 2 Technical Consultant 1 1 Integrated Design Consultant 1 Total Number of Individuals 1 1 2 3 3* *Total of four individual certifications required by three unique individuals. Individual holding technical consultant or integrated design consultant certification may also hold sales professional certification. Partner Commitment Requirement Registered Select Premier Elite Partner Partner Partner Partner Business Network Sm/Med Data Center Partner Profile Executive Sponsorship Business Plan Staff Training Proficiency Index** **Proficiency Index Rating is based on annual competency, revenue and customer satisfaction. The Proficiency Index will be evaluated on an annual basis. Program benefits and requirements are subject to change. APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program 7
Find out more We re committed to giving you the tools you need to succeed > Online: Visit www.apc.com/personalpage > Phone: Call our Priority Reseller Hotline 1-800-771-1APC > e-mail: channel.programs@apc.com Make the most of your energy SM Schneider Electric Industries SAS APC North America 132 Fairgrounds Road West Kingston, RI 02892 Tel.: 800 800 4APC www.apc.com 2010 Schneider Electric Industries SAS, All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, APC, Data Center University, and Make the most of your energy are owned by Schneider Electric, or its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Design: Global Marketing, Communications Strategy and Design 998-3388