Business software vendor, Sage Business Solutions, is increasing its focus on the channel by announcing aggressive partner strategies for its next-generation Sage CRM Cloud and Sage ERP X3 products.
The partner-only model is consistent with current market trends.
Sage Business Solutions managing director, Mike Lorge, said one of the trends he recently noticed in the contact management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) space is the transition to the Cloud.
“Up to half of prospects looking for contact management solutions are looking for that to be in a Cloud-based solution,” he said.
For the Sage CRM Cloud solution, one of the key initiatives it will be adopt is to work closely with its ACT! partner community to bring the product out to the market.
According to Lorge, by having ACT! partners represent both ACT! (an on-premise contact management system) and Sage CRM Cloud (a Cloud-based contact management and CRM solution), they are able to provide both prospects and existing customers with freedom of choice to either go with on-premise or to go into the Cloud.
“It provides partners with two weapons in their arsenal. Whichever way the customer chooses to go, they are able to address that need and keep the existing customers in their base, ensuring that they grow robustly as businesses,” Lorge said.
Training and certification for the partners will be conducted as part of the Sage Business Solutions partner program, which the company’s existing partners can access for free. The product will also be offered through the traditional CRM partners, enabling them to offer identical on-premise and Cloud CRM options.
The company aims to target the upper mid-market with the Sage ERP X3 product. It will be focusing on three verticals – discreet manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, as well as mining and resources.
Lorge claimed that in A/NZ, 10 new partners had already signed up to the product and its reaching the 20 customer mark with it.
From an existing partner perspective, he said that taking on this product enables them to grow their partner numbers within the upper mid-market sector.
“It helps partners in areas such as retaining good staff in the ERP consulting space and the similarities between Accpac and the X3 allows them to re-use existing skills. It’s easier for them to adopt it as they already know what they need to know in terms of implementation,” he said.
Sage is looking to sign on new partners, especially for the Sage ERP X3 product.
Sage Business Solutions will also soon hold an Australian Sage ERP X3 executive briefing on May 14 in Melbourne, May 15 in Sydney and May 17 in Perth.
