Unify has taken decisive steps in its journey towards becoming a channel-centric organisation and there's no turning back, according to Jon Pritchard, Executive VP of Worldwide Channels. That was the message trumpeted to the 200-plus partners from 50 countries who converged on the Unify Partner Conference 2015 in Florida.
Staged under the umbrella headline 'Engage, Evolve, Execute', the event served as a platform for the vendor to showcase its future roadmap and provide an update on the progress of its channel building strategy.
Pritchard said: "Unify has now transitioned 54 of the countries we do business in to channel and distributor-led sales only.
"By the end of Unify's 2015 fiscal year we will have only nine countries that remain a combination of channel and direct sales.
"In two years, we expect to get 45% of our revenue through the channel. We can't go back. Our future depends upon the success of our partners and we are committed to working with them to stay ahead of the changes facing the technology market today."
An important part of Unify's channel plan is its Partner Programme. Launched at the beginning of this year more than 2,000-plus partners now take part of the scheme, which is proving popular with 91% of partners planning to develop their Unify business in the next fiscal year.
The Unify Partner Programme rewards partners for their expertise, offering specialisation level discounts to partners who invest in Unify.
The company has also added to its channel management team with two hires.
Simon Minett joins from Westcon Group as Senior VP of Global Partner Management; while John DeLozier takes the role of Senior VP Channels for North America.
"Unify's success will be based on our partner's success," added Dean Douglas, CEO of Unify.
"We have very clear rules of engagement in place to ensure that we are doing all we can to help our partners execute and grow their businesses."