Xiotech Corporation announced that it has launched a new three-tier channel partner program designed to attract best-in-class resellers and support the company's aggressive growth plans. With the new program Xiotech has added a new Elite partner level, in addition to its Premier and Preferred partner levels. Xiotech also announced that Mike Gluck has joined the company as vice president, channel development. He will lead the new channel development strategy and will report to Casey Powell, Xiotech president and chief executive officer.

    Elite partners will have specific storage virtualization and VMware expertise. Elite, Premier and Preferred partners all will become an extension of the Xiotech sales force, and will receive several new advantages including increased margin protection, improved lead generation processes and enhanced communications and training. Xiotech's new partner levels are tiered by the partner's number of Xiotech certified systems engineers, sales representatives and revenue achievement.

    The Preferred Partner Program is designed to work within the Reseller business model and help you increase both your technical expertise and financial return. You'll be representing today's leading storage technology, with full access to Xiotech Marketing Momentum programs. In addition, the quality of Xiotech support will increase your customer loyalty ratings.

    "We're investing heavily in our storage business and recently announced several new features with the Magnitude 3D 4000 storage system, as well as our plans to develop new game-changing technology from our Seagate acquisition," said Powell. "We expect significant growth opportunities with the new technology, and a best-in-class channel program developed by Mike Gluck will help us capture market opportunities faster and more effectively."

    Elite partners will have a significant focus on virtualization, including VMware technology, ensuring these partners can leverage the latest Magnitude 3D 4000 features, which offer unique benefits in these environments. The new program offers several new advantages for Xiotech storage channel partners. Most significantly, the program provides minimum margin guarantees to the reseller, which ensures a reseller's margin is protected in a highly competitive bidding situation. Additionally, the new program includes a registration capability, which rewards and recognizes a reseller that initiates a new opportunity.

    The new program, which Xiotech dubbed XCEL, includes a significant focus on a "direct assist" territory management model with clear rules of engagement to support the channel, so reseller partners and Xiotech's direct sales teams will have mutual trust and can work toward the optimal success for both parties.

    Xiotech will focus primarily on those customers that prefer to buy directly from the manufacturer and will use reseller partners where customers prefer to buy from VARs and integrators that offer complimentary products and services. Xiotech's local presence will be extremely beneficial to its reseller partners in this direct assist model. Also, the opportunity registration feature of the new XCEL program will minimize channel conflict.