Rackspace Hosting, based in San Antonio, has combined its four channel programs—managed hosting, cloud hosting, email hosting, and Rackspace Cloud Drive (JungleDisk)—into one global program that features additional hosted services, 
a centralized portal for relationship management, and an integrated compensation structure and tiered benefits for various program levels.
Key enhancements to the program are an upgraded structure for benefits and compensation and a single contract that enables partners to receive compensation for qualifying resales and referrals across the company’s full suite of offerings.
So far, partners are embracing the changes, not only for their own businesses, but for their customers. “Most of our customers are utilizing dedicated hosting, and many are now looking to incorporate cloud connected services to leverage the combined economic benefits of cloud with on-demand computing capabilities,” says Kenan Rappuchi, vice president of business development at Websitemovers.com Inc., a Troy, Mich.-based provider of Web site, server, and application migration services. “[Now] it’s even easier for us to extend these services to our customers and offer new services such as hosted email, hosted Microsoft SharePoint and online back-up capabilities.”
The upgraded program features Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Member partner tiers that include all product offerings and reward partners with points for business secured and referred or resold on a consistent scale.†Other benefits include improved service and support as well as sales and marketing assistance.
Select partners will have a designated channel manager handling their contract, co-marketing activities, and all other aspects of their relationship.†An integrated Partner Relationship M (PRM) portal will also provide partners with a single view of their relationship, including opportunity and lead management, commissions reporting, and access to educational tools, training, and sales resources.†
Rackspace hopes to help partners advance in the program with the development of micro sites to send content directly to partners’ Web sites, co-branded collateral automation, and a virtual briefing center with Learning Management System capabilities to improve education and training about Rackspace’s products.
For more information, go to www.rackspace.com/partners.††
