SolarWinds partner program update adds tiered discounts, training and rewards

To deliver more predictable benefits and business rewards to its channel partners, observability and IT management software vendor SolarWinds will be revamping its partner program later this summer to make the program clearer and easier for partners to use.

The updated SolarWinds Reseller Partner Program aims to boost its partner ecosystem by providing broader enablement opportunities, more predictable discounts, and increased partner rewards for their investments and growth.

Barb Huelskamp, the vice president of global channel and alliances at SolarWinds told ChannelE2E that the biggest changes include clear tier-based incentives and discounts, an updated training curriculum, and an improved partner experience with a reworked partner portal and a new long-term rewards center to drive additional investment.

Enhanced marketing support and tools that include new self-service sales campaign packages and opportunities for joint business planning, back-end rebates, and access to partner marketing development funds are also being slated for inclusion in the updates.

“The program updates are a direct reflection of partner feedback,” said Huelskamp. “Specifically, they wanted differentiation for their investments and growth.”

Under the upcoming updates, which will be available starting August 3, are additional online certification specializations to help customers solve evolving technical issues, more monthly partner enablement webinars and newsletters, enhanced NFR (Not For Retail) licenses, bolstered onboarding guidance, and improved content supporting various sales process stages. Channel partners will be able to integrate the changes in their program relationships with SolarWinds over one year, the company announced.

"The most impactful changes deliver immediate, tangible value," said Huelskamp. "[This includes] greater transparency and predictability through tiered discounting structures with clearly defined rules of engagement; expanded access to pipeline generation resources with tools that empower partners to accelerate growth; and streamlined, frictionless experiences when engaging with SolarWinds."

Jack E. Gold, president and principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, LLC., told ChannelE2E that SolarWinds' response to partner feedback about its partner program is a smart move and comes amid a wave of similar updates from other vendors as well.

"Partner enablement is key to their success, so any way they can reduce friction for their partners, and increase support for their most critical partners, is a good thing." Said Gold. " This is a continuing story. Once some partner programs get updated, others, particularly direct competitors, follow suit."

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, agreed.

"The steps SolarWinds announced are certainly a solid move in the right direction, primarily because they target the most persistent channel friction points," said Enderle. "Moving to a predictable, tier-based discounting framework is exactly what partners need to forecast their margins accurately, and revamping the portal to reduce administrative headaches with things like NFR licenses is highly practical. Giving partners a full year to adjust to new tier requirements also demonstrates smart channel management, ensuring they don't alienate their current base during the transition."

Enderle said he would also like to see a few other changes with the SolarWinds partner program.

"The announcement reads like a very traditional reseller update in a market that has fundamentally shifted," he said. "To build a truly best-in-class ecosystem today, they need to explicitly support Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and partner-led services. The most profitable channel partners are no longer just flipping licenses; they are wrapping their own lucrative implementation and managed services around the product."

Also needed to drive deep partner loyalty, said Enderle, is the implementation of ironclad, automated deal registration protections. "Coupling that with priority technical support SLAs for their top-tier partners would significantly move the needle," he added. "What they have rolled out will definitely modernize their legacy motion and stabilize their current base, but closing these remaining gaps is what will actually supercharge their channel growth moving forward."