Brocade Technology Alliance PARTNER Program Guide Partnering to provide best-in-class solutions Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM OVERVIEW From enterprise data centers to the service provider core, Brocade® develops extraordinary networking solutions that connect the world’s most important information. Delivered directly and through global partners, these solutions help today’s data-intensive organizations operate more efficiently and maximize the business value of their data. As a provider of extraordinary networking solutions, Brocade recognizes the benefits that a joint technology partnership can bring to our customers. That’s why Brocade has created the Technology Alliance Partner Program (TAPP) with the mission of building new business opportunities and long-term partnerships that enable us to deliver comprehensive and proven best-of-breed technology solutions to our shared markets The Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program (TAPP) delivers best-in-class solutions with industry-leading companies who, by partnering with Brocade, can: • Offer customers a comprehensive, integrated, and simplified solution • Extend the sales and market reach of our two organizations • Co-market solutions through branding, awareness, and lead-generation activities • Jointly sell solutions more effectively by facilitating strategic sales engagements • Deliver complementary solutions validated through interoperability testing • Build a team for Quality Assurance testing, technical liaison, and sales support The Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program offers extensive benefits, including: • Joint interoperability validation • Joint marketing opportunities • Partner and field communications opportunities • Technology and technical support resources • Realization of business goals The Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program offers several competitive advantages. For Our Partners This program encourages partners’ success by combining their best-in-class products, services, and know-how with Brocade products, services, and industry expertise. The partnership increases business opportunities while helping partners deliver complementary and best-of-class solutions to their customers. For Our Customers The partnership brings value to customers by providing complementary products, solutions, and services. Brocade and its partners ensure the performance of solutions and validate interoperability together. As a result, customers receive integrated solutions that deliver the business-critical reliability they need. For Our Developers The partnership brings value to developers by enabling them to perform compatibility testing with the complete portfolio of Brocade products and solutions. Together, Brocade and its partners ensure the performance and interoperability of developer solutions. 2 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM Table 1. Key Benefits of the Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program Membership Levels The Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program offers a tiered program with three levels of alliance membership, which differ in their requirements and associated benefits, and Developer Partner Program. Brocade works closely with its partners to determine what level of membership best matches combined requirements and desired commitment by both organizations. • Global Alliance Partners: Global Alliance Partners share a global relationship with Brocade, one that spans multiple functional groups between the two organizations. This is the highest partnership level and is offered by invitation only. • Strategic Alliance Partners: Strategic Alliance Partners have significant market presence and a successful track record with Brocade. • Advantage Alliance Partners: Advantage Alliance Partners are new partners or those who have a significant solution for working with Brocade. These partnerships must fill a technology gap or bring value to Brocade services or solutions. Benefit Global Alliance Partner Strategic Alliance Partner Advantage Alliance Partner Joint business planning sessions Yes Yes By invitation Web site presence Yes Yes Yes Technology Partner logo Yes Yes Yes Joint press releases Yes Yes Negotiated Sales support (linkage) Via Alliance Team Via Alliance Team Via Alliance Team Joint marketing activities and events Yes Negotiated Negotiated Joint collateral development Yes Yes Negotiated Joint support: Allows a more formal tie between two technical support departments Yes Yes Negotiated Partner product in Brocade lab As needed As needed Negotiated Equipment discount: (not for resale, for demo, testing, showcase in EBC, and events) Discount available Discount available Discount available Brocade instructor-led training discount Discount available Discount available Discount available Marketing and Sales Support and Education • Developer Program: Developer Partners have completed compatibility testing for their solutions. (See the Brocade Developer Program Guide for details about this program.) 3 2 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM KEY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Based on their level of commitment, participants are referred to as Global Alliance Partners, Strategic Alliance Partners, or Advantage Alliance Partners. Each level provides an increasing number of benefits and commitment from Brocade (see Table 1). Brocade reserves the right to modify these benefits at its sole discretion. Marketing and Sales The Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program provides multiple opportunities to engage in joint marketing and sales activities. Through these activities, Brocade and its partners can realize incremental revenue opportunities while maximizing the outreach of their campaigns. By selling joint solutions to prospects, customers, and channel partners, Brocade and its partners can capitalize on: • Branding • Cross-links on partner and Brocade Web sites • Co-branding on marketing campaigns • Use of program logos • Joint collateral • Awareness (Internal and External) • Public relations • Joint case studies • Joint marketing activities • Lead Generation • Solution summits and seminars • Industry events • Joint demand generation • Webinars • Education and Training • Internal technical education • External 4 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM Development Development-related benefits include: • Access to the Brocade Partner Network: The Partner Network is a secure site where all Brocade Partners can access the latest firmware, software applications, product manuals, technical documents, and sales/marketing materials pertaining to Brocade products. Partners must complete a short online application to gain access. • Online technical information and FAQs: All partners gain access to online technical information, ranging from firmware downloads to how-to guides. Along with these resources, FAQs are available to provide immediate answers to the most common program questions. Support, Equipment, and Education • Support: This partnership creates a more formal tie between Brocade and its partners’ technical support departments, helping to reduce the time required to solve supportrelated issues. Each side gains a better understanding of the other’s technology and knowledge base, as well as issues that might exist at the product-integration level. • Education—Technical Training Courses: The Brocade training program provides a certification process that validates each partner’s technical excellence in planning, designing, configuring, and implementing high-performance networks for their customers. Training courses and discounts are available as a part of the program benefits. • Education—Sales: Sales training is provided upon request. This course provides partners with a base proficiency for working with and positioning the Brocade solution. The goal is to create an educated and united front with joint prospects and customers. • Equipment: Brocade equipment is available to partners at a discounted rate for the following uses: demo, testing, showcase in an EBC (Executive Briefing Center), and events. Equipment discounts will be determined by the partner’s membership level and cannot be used for resale purposes. Contact your assigned manager for more details. • Brocade Data Center Ready (DCR) Certification: Partners are eligible to have their products certified as Brocade Data Center Ready, an entitlement given to products that have passed rigorous compatibility tests with a full range of Brocade solutions in a heterogeneous enterprise data center network environment. The Brocade DCR Program is a comprehensive testing and configuration initiative that fosters end-to-end interoperability. It provides developers with the resources and tools to verify product compatibility in a Brocade-based network environment. Two levels of interoperability testing are available through the Brocade DCR Program: self-certification and Brocade Data Center Ready certification. 5 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM Table 2. Requirements of the Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program Membership Requirements Brocade evaluates all interested partners to ensure that they are aligned with the goals and vision of Brocade. The evaluation of members is based on factors that include, but are not limited to, the following: Requirement Global Alliance Partner Strategic Alliance Partner Advantage Alliance Partner $20,000 (by invitation only) $10,000 $5,000 Executive sponsorship Assigned VP-level executive/ GM Assigned director-level executive/ GM Must have sales champion/ GM Alliance management Business Alliance/ technical representative Business/ technical representative Point of contact Review Partner Plan Once a quarter Twice a year Per account Contractual agreements Yes Yes Yes Completion of program application Yes Yes Yes Joint customer references Per account plan Negotiated Negotiated Partner Web site presence Required Required Required Solution collateral Required Required Required Marketing budget Negotiated Negotiated NA Demo Center Negotiated Negotiated NA Marketing and sales events Yes Yes Per event Sales solutions champions Required Negotiated Negotiated Technical Support: Each side agrees to add infrastructure to provide adequate training, support, and escalation procedures Required Required NA Training Required Required Negotiated Product access: To partner software and hardware supplies Yes Yes Negotiated Testing/Certification responsibility Shared Shared Partner Roadmap: Partner technology roadmap tie-in to Brocade Yes As needed Negotiated Membership fees due annually • Product alignment • Core technologies and competencies • Previous relationships • Revenue potential • Mutual customers Table 2 outlines the requirements for the three levels of membership. All members are required to complete and sign a Brocade Program Agreement and the Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Joint Marketing and Sales Support and Training 6 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM Changing Membership Depending on their previous relationship with Brocade, prospective partners need to follow the steps described in the following sections to make changes to a Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program membership. Renewing and Extending Membership Unless otherwise notified, membership continues for one year from the date that the Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program Agreement is signed and fully executed. Membership renews automatically after one year, and payment of the annual program fee is due on the anniversary of the program agreement. Discontinuing Membership Members can leave the program at any time by notifying Brocade and discontinuing their use of the Brocade TAPP logos. The complete membership terms for renewal and termination can be found in the Brocade Program Agreement, which must be signed by all partners. Support Support is currently available to all Brocade Partners who have a valid service contract in place. When possible, all discounted products sold through the Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program include one-year, standard-service contracts that entitle partners to phone support (5x9), software maintenance, and hardware replacement (shipped within two days). Learn More For more information about the Brocade Technology Alliance Partner Program, visit www.brocade.com/alliances or send an e-mail to [email protected]. 7 Technology Alliance PARTNER PROGRAM Corporate Headquarters San Jose, CA USA T: +1-408-333-8000 [email protected] European Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland T: +41-22-799-56-40 [email protected] Asia Pacific Headquarters Singapore T: +65-6538-4700 [email protected] © 2009 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 04/09 PA-BR-1350-00 Brocade, the B-wing symbol, BigIron, DCX, Fabric OS, FastIron, IronPoint, IronShield, IronView, IronWare, JetCore, NetIron, SecureIron, ServerIron, StorageX, and TurboIron are registered trademarks, and DCFM and SAN Health are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners. Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. Moreover, Brocade does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements. This informational document describes features that may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical data contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government.