Symantec Corp. recently announced its channel strategy and vision, which includes planned enhancements to the Symantec Partner Program focused on helping partners differentiate their business, maximize sales opportunities and accelerate profitability.

This year, Symantec will offer its partners additional growth opportunities and provide them with solutions to solve customers’ complex business issues. Under the enhanced program, which will go into effect end of 2010, Symantec will put an increased focus on driving partner competence in key solutions areas and providing partners with more resource, tools, incentives and sales support.

“Asia Pacific and Japan is a growing and diverse market. We are committed to helping our partners build strong businesses selling Symantec solutions and services,” says Bernard Kwok, SVP Asia Pacific and Japan. “Strengthening our partnerships this year will best serve our mutual customers.”

Differentiating with Specializations

Symantec will be enhancing the Symantec Partner Program to put a greater emphasis on rewarding partner capabilities and competence. Specializations, which recognize partners with a proven expertise in a particular line of business, will be the cornerstone of the Symantec Partner Program. They will provide partners with the skills and expertise to deliver differentiated services to customers. Partners achieve specializations by meeting certain requirements that will deepen their knowledge and proficiency in a solution family.

In the Philippines, Symantec currently offers the following specializations: Endpoint Management, SMB, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP). “Specializations will help partners differentiate themselves in the industry—by enhancing their expertise, partners increase their value to customers,” says Luichi Robles, country manager of Symantec Philippines.

The Symantec Partner Program will continue with the existing partner levels, which include Registered, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Within the enhanced program, specializations will be essential to attaining partner levels, and revenue requirements will be removed.

“Our channel vision is to deepen the relationships with our partners and help them identify new ways to accelerate growth. Our enhanced partner program based on Specializations will enable our partners to stay ahead through their investment in the development of skills and in-depth knowledge in particular competence areas,” said Eric Hoh, VP for the Asia South region.

Maximizing Opportunities

As partners achieve Specializations, new enablement resources will also be provided to help them drive their businesses in alignment with the market opportunities identified by Symantec. This will provide increased channel enablement tools to help partners increase their revenue around Symantec solutions.

To recognize partners’ investment and expertise, the Symantec Partner Program will provide exclusive benefits to specialized partners that will help increase their competitive advantage, improve recognition by customers and drive more revenue.

Specialized partners will have greater access to Symantec sales and technical resources as well as financial incentives that will help reduce the sales cycle. In turn, Symantec can bring new customer solutions to market faster with support from qualified partners who have competencies in the respective solution family.

Recognizing Partners

Symantec also holds the Philippines Partner Awards to recognize partners for their innovative delivery of Symantec solutions and services, as well as their commitment and dedication to promoting the Symantec brand in the Philippines.

Award winners are selected based on their overall performance revenue, sales and technical specializations and certifications, as well as competitive wins.

“Symantec’s outstanding community of partners in the Philippines has been instrumental in driving our success to deliver customized solutions to secure and manage our customers’ information,” said Hoh. “We are focused on helping our partners in this country to achieve similar success by enabling them to differentiate their business and accelerate their growth.”

“The Symantec Philippines Partner Awards is proof of Symantec’s commitment in maintaining along- term relationship with their partners,” says Edwin Boon, Managing Director of Shellsoft Technology Corp., winner of five awards. “With this recognition we are motivated to do better in delivering their solutions and services in the Philippines.”