The power of channel partnerships

Anita Joseph caught up with Charbel Zreiby, Channel Presales Director – CEEMETA at Dell Technologies, to explore how the company is focused on creating greater synergy with its partners to drive change and resonate better with their customers.

What does it mean to be participating in GITEX this year? What are the products and solutions you are showcasing?

At GITEX, the world’s leading technology show, we are actively promoting several cutting-edge innovations, many of which are long-awaited technologies. These emerging technologies are summarised under the umbrella of multi-cloud solutions. Today, we are offering customers the flexibility to choose the cloud strategy that aligns with their specific needs. We are also emphasising edge solutions, a crucial component of our multi-cloud strategy. Our substantial investment in edge solutions underscores their importance. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant area of focus. With the rise of generative AI, we have cultivated partnerships that enable us to offer comprehensive AI solutions and development, along with 5G data management and robust security measures. All of these can be explored at GITEX, courtesy of Dell Technologies. What sets us apart is our collaboration with a select group of highly capable partners and distributors, who offer tailor-made solutions based on their expertise.

Can you tell us more about your channel partner ecosystem and its key highlights?

When it comes to partnering with technology vendors, there are three crucial factors that partners consider. First, profitability plays a pivotal role, and we, at Dell Technologies, have a robust partner program in place. We provide our partners with one of the most attractive rebate schemes globally. This program is lauded for its predictability and simplicity, making our partners very content. Our partners also value our brand, which is synonymous with technological innovation and vision. Lastly, we prioritise support for our partners. We help them understand how to effectively sell technology solutions, position them, and convey their value to customers. Our team, specifically, employs a “ready to sell” framework that equips partners with resources from both sales and pre-sales to identify, qualify, and close deals successfully. We are committed to helping our partners stay at the forefront of technology and provide continuous support as they evolve. Our focus on enabling our partners to succeed fosters strong loyalty, creating a win-win scenario.

How significant is the Middle East region for your business, and what’s your perspective on the business opportunities here?

The Middle East and the broader region are of immense importance to our business. This region predominantly relies on channel partnerships for nearly 100% of its transactions, with specific areas, particularly in South Africa, presenting exceptions. We are actively working on initiatives to enable our partners to thrive in this challenging landscape. For instance, we are providing our partners with more collaborative spaces and opportunities for handling accounts that our internal teams do not manage. This unique approach is expanding across all regions. When you partner with Dell Technologies, you gain the space to do business independently and boost your profitability through our services. In addition, we have introduced several crucial programs, including our “partner-first” strategy for storage. This initiative prioritises our partners and incentivises them to drive sales. They also aim to foster our partners’ growth and enhance their relationship with us.

What is your vision for the channel partner industry in this region, and what are your distribution plans?

Our vision for the channel partner industry in this region is to strengthen it significantly. Historically, we’ve had substantial direct sales presence, but we’ve been actively transforming our approach. We’re focusing on channel development to ensure that our partners can run substantial businesses independently. Our goal is for our partners to be fully self-sufficient, capable of delivering the same quality of service as our in-house teams. While we could hire more resources, our partners remain essential to our ability to effectively cover all the countries in this region. Channel partnerships are a critical component of our go-to-market strategy, and we plan to continue prioritising and empowering them to promote our business more effectively. Ultimately, we aim to make our channel partners fully self-reliant.