“The most influential feedback from the Voice of the Partner survey centered around complexity, misalignment, and inconsistency across legacy programs, especially post-merger,” Craig Patterson, Global Channel Chief at Exabeam told ChannelE2E. “Partners voiced frustration with multiple partner portals, lack of clarity around tiering, needing more enablement content, and incentives that only rewarded sales volume. MSSPs in particular called out the need for more flexible licensing, multi-tenancy, greater value, and better margin visibility.”
Tiering That Prioritizes Competency Over Volume
The biggest structural change is the move to a competency-based model. Advancement is now tied to certifications, customer success, and technical expertise, not just revenue. For partners investing in services and skills, this makes the program more inclusive and grounded in value creation.“We rearchitected the program to simplify the tier structure and create role-based specialization paths,” Patterson said. “It’s a persona-driven model with clear enablement tracks and regionally adaptable structures. It’s not just easier to engage, it also opens new routes to market, including Technology Solution Distributors and a referral track for consultants and advisors.”
New Paths to Market: TSDs and Referral Partners
Two of the biggest additions to the program are Technology Solution Distributors (TSDs) and a dedicated referral track. These aren’t bolt-ons; they’re core to the new go-to-market motion.“By formally bringing TSDs into the framework, we’re unlocking a scalable, repeatable path to engage MSPs, MSSPs, and resellers, especially in key markets like North America and the UK,” said Patterson. “TSDs today aren’t just fulfillment engines. They’ve become strategic players with practices around cloud, AI, and cyber. We’re giving them the tools to succeed in modern managed services models.”
“At the same time, the referral track opens up a route to influence. Consultants, integrators, and ecosystem partners, folks who help shape strategy but don’t want to transact, can now formally engage with Exabeam, participate in opportunities, and get rewarded without jumping through traditional hoops.”
Making It Easier for MSSPs and MSPs to Profit
For MSSPs and MSPs, the competency-based model also solves a long-standing issue: unpredictable margins. Instead of requiring high revenue upfront, the new structure rewards capabilities - training, delivery, support.“This directly addresses one of the biggest pain points: long paths to profitability,” said Patterson. “There are no minimum deal sizes or upfront revenue commitments. Managed partners get revamped NFR licensing, training, and predictable pricing tiers based on certifications and specialization.”
“We’ve built this to align with how MSPs actually operate, monthly billing, multi-tenancy, co-managed delivery. Stackable discounts and deal reg bonuses make the economics work, without forcing partners to wait months just to hit a tier.”
