The VAR Guy

Mark Enzweiler, VP of North American Channel Sales at Red Hat, today unveiled the latest addition to the company’s channel strategy.

The Red Hat Certified Service Provider Program is an invitation-only effort that gives selected partners access to potential subcontracting engagements with Red Hat Global Professional Services. The program also exposes Red Hat partners to new clients, supplemental Red Hat training, discounted professional services and access to a Red Hat technical specialist.

Red Hat is also making channel moves abroad. The company recently named SuSE Linux veteran Petra Heinrich to lead the company’s channel and partner programs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia (EMEA).

These are interesting times for Red Hat partners. The Linux vendor wasn’t much of a channel supporter during its early years. But that began to change in 2006, when Red Hat recruited Enzweiler to overall the firm’s North American channel programs