Leave it to The VAR Guy. Novell has just started a search for a new channel chief to replace Pat Bernard, and our resident blogger is already offering advice to Bernard’s potential replacement. Whoever lands the position, The VAR guy hopes he or she will take the following four steps.
First, a little background. News broke a little earlier today that Novell Channel Chief Pat Bernard has left the company to pursue other interests, according to a company spokeswoman. The search is on for Bernard’s replacement. In the meantime, here are four steps that new executive should take:
1. Promote Open Source Solution Stacks: Novell has done a solid job promoting its SuSE Linux relationships with SAP and IBM. But it’s time for Novell executives to get cozy with fast-growing open source application providers like MySQL, SugarCRM, JasperSoft, Zimbra and others. Reach out to those companies — again — and offer them incentives to promote their support of SuSE Linux.
2. Develop a SaaS Strategy: How is SuSE Linux designed to support managed service providers and software as a service (SaaS) companies? Why is SuSE Linux the best platform for running SaaS applications? It’s time for Novell to more aggressively answer these questions in the market.
3. List Your OEMs: Build a database on the Novell web site, listing all PC makers and server makers that either pre-install or offer SuSE Linux on their systems. Make it incredibly easy to find the hardware companies that back SuSE Linux — and incredibly easy to search, select and purchase systems from them.
4. Rethink Brainshare: Over the years, Brainshare has been a good event for Novell customers and partners. But Novell needs a dedicated event for its partners — or to re-work Brainshare so that partner strategies are much more clearly emphasized and defined.
Tags: Novell Acting Channel Chief Tim Wolfe | Novell Channel Chief Pat Bernard | Novell Partner Program | SuSE Linux
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In one of your later articles, Varman, someone mentioned ‘energizing the channel partners’, but in this article their marketing approach is not mentioned. Is their marketing approach working or not working? Do they have the same grassroots enthusiasm from partners as they did in the past during the 2.x and 3.x days? Which is more profitable for the SMB reseller? Selling Microsoft or selling Novell? Is it easier to sell Novell into a Microsoft shop or to sell Microsoft into a Novell shop? I think I know the answers, myself, but all VARs ask themselves these type of questions everyday.
Now that Novell is in the crowded Linux business, have they done a good job of differentiating themselves from the other flavors. No doubt, Novell is a huge bull and can lock horns with Microsoft if they want to, but maybe they are just knocking over the china in the china shop?
I think your list of 4 here represents more of the same and does not appear to be a path to marketshare growth.
@HurdyGurdy: Some answers to your questions…
1. The VAR Guy doesn’t think Novell enjoys the “grassroots” enthusiasm they enjoyed during the NetWare 3.x and 2.x.
2. What’ more profitable to the SMB reseller - Novell or MSFT? That really depends. Is the reseller just focused on Windows Server vs. SUSE Linux? Either way, there’s no money in file servers these days. At the application level, MSFT Dynamics is a hot play, but so too are options like SUSE with SAP. So which is more profitable? It depends on your app focus.
3. Novell, contrary to what you say, is NOT a huge bull. They are a $1 billion company. Microsoft is 60 times the size, at $60 billion annual revenue. Plus, SUSE Linux is only 12 percent of Novell’s annual revenue, or about $120 million annual. Who’s the bull in the China shop?
Novell has done a very nice job stabilizing its business and growing its SUSE Linux business. But let’s be clear, much more progress is needed. Novell doesn’t post consistent profits, and the partner strategy has earned an “incomplete” from The VAR Guy.
I do agree with you on your #3. Didn’t Lehman Brothers loose a couple of Novells in the last quarter alone? $5-10B? It does really demonstrate how much $1B is, in reality. Not much.