Credit: Riverbed
Riverbed has revealed its Certified Performance Engineering (RCPE) program as the vendor aims to build up industry expertise in supporting digital businesses.
According to the network and application performance specialists, the program is aimed at all IT professionals from technical through to CXO, involved in managing digital performance across user experience applications, networks, infrastructure, support desk and operations.
The program framework involves five specialisation tracks including end user experience and application visibility; network and infrastructure visibility; WAN optimisation; SD-WAN network configuration; virtualisation and storage.
Across each specialisation there are four levels of learning depth including RCPE performance foundations; RCPE associate; RCPE professional and RCPE expert.
“The new Riverbed Certified Performance Engineering (RCPE) Program is a first of its kind training curriculum that teaches career-based skills and capabilities in digital performance,” said Dan Smoot, chief customer officer at Riverbed.
Specifically, it focuses on building skills and capabilities in digital performance across different levels of expertise. The program uses a combination of eLearning, instructor-led classes and hands-on labs.
Riverbed A/NZ director of channel sales Charles de Jesus said its business shape has changed in the past 18 months, growing into newer technologies, organic development of products in-house, targeting cloud networking and cloud edge digital experience platforms.
“We’re seeing our partners attach specific elements of our portfolio to use as a differentiator in the market,” de Jesus said.
In January, Riverbed rolled out a new reward points-based program - Rise, stepping away from its traditional, compliance-based model.
Partners can earn points-based rewards through various methods of either uptaking training, certifications or if they conduct business with Riverbed. They can accrue points -- dividends -- that can be used for certain things such as rebates or business development activity.
Since its launch, de Jesus said it was transacting with 23 per cent more partners than last year.
“Riverbed Rise changes the way we go to market with our partners with three key areas -- simplicity, flexibility and profitability,” he said.
One of the partners that have seen the benefits of the program was Melbourne-based system integrator, Basis Networks.
Co-founder and director Anthony Collings said partnerships with vendors were a critical element to its day-to-day business and growth prospects, and was a bit sceptical of the program changes, until the benefits began to materialise.
“Being a smaller business, every dollar counts, but more importantly, the Rise program has given us that visual representation of investment in things like marketing and training funds, that we can actually use. It has brought about a tangible benefit -- rather than just being verbal,” he said.
Basis Networks has been in operation for three years and has a team of 15 staff. Collings said it had built a solid foundation within the business, focusing on core strengths such as network optimisation; cyber security and mobility services.
“Our fundamental business model will scale as we evolve, and we’ll expand into other markets too, but we don’t want to compete with larger integrators,” he said. “Our flexibility and size is a real benefit and selling point, but we’re aspiring to grow from a smaller business, into a really significant market challenger in the space that we operate as a mid-size business.”
