Avnet Technology Solutions Delivers Enhanced Business Development Tools for Oracle Solution Provider
Avnet Technology Solutions Delivers Enhanced Business Development Tools for Oracle Solution Providers in the U.S. and Canada
Avnet-exclusive tools help accelerate success throughout the IT sales cycle
TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In advance of its participation as a Grande-level sponsor at Oracle PartnerNetwork Exchange @ OpenWorld 2012 in San Francisco, Avnet Technology Solutions, a global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), today unveiled enhancements to its business development toolset for its Oracle solution provider partners in the U.S. and Canada. The Avnet-exclusive tools are designed to help Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) partners increase their revenue and profitability by identifying Oracle upgrade and upsell opportunities, specializing in high-growth markets, managing demand generation campaigns, and implementing a solutions-driven sales methodology.
"The IT sales cycle has lengthened as executives from the smallest shops to the largest enterprises increasingly demand a solutions-driven approach tailored to their unique business needs," said Molly Sherwood, director of marketing for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, Oracle Solutions group. "Avnet has invested in business development tools to provide our Oracle partners with the resources to overcome this challenge and provide strategic consultation to their customers. Our tools support partners through every step of the sales cycle, from cold calling to upgrading a customer's infrastructure, with the primary goal of helping partners close deals faster."
"We rely on our channel members to help us grow," said Tom LaRocca, vice president, Channel Solutions and Go to Market, Oracle. "The enhancements to Avnet's tools demonstrate a clear understanding of the resources partners need to identify, pursue and close new business opportunities quickly. With these tools in hand, Avnet's highly-trained and knowledgeable partners will be able to not only support our installed base, but also extend our reach into additional markets."
Avnet's enhanced business development tools for OPN members are designed to complement each other and be used in conjunction with a complete marketing and sales program, significantly accelerating the sales management process. These Avnet-exclusive tools include:
Demand Resources: Avnet has improved demand generation for its Oracle resellers through an enhanced prospect database for lead nurturing. The database can be used for marketing automation and appointment setting campaigns as well. It is designed to provide partners with higher quality leads in the broader Oracle market.
Opportunity Bank: This database contains highly-detailed information on the existing IT environment of an OPN partner's customer base. Opportunity Bank is designed to help Avnet's partners mine their current customer base for upgrade and upsell opportunities. It provides the information needed for targeted sales calls, including end-of-life data, technology refresh recommendations, product comparisons, opportunity breakdowns and integrated marketing tools. Introduced to the OPN partner community in January 2012, this tool initially focused on hardware and was recently expanded to include software product information to further enable solutions sales.
Sales Toolkit To Go: Avnet introduced this mobile-enabled tool for OPN hardware and software solution provider partners at Oracle OpenWorld in 2011, and it features a broad range of product, market and best practice information that can be accessed from any mobile device with Web browsing capabilities. The sales toolkit has recently been expanded to provide sales information on Oracle Exadata Database Machine, the Oracle Database Appliance, Oracle's Pillar Axiom and Oracle's SPARC T-series servers. It now also provides monthly best practice information to users and access to a monthly webinar focused on closing deals. Due to the success of this mobile toolkit in the U.S. and Canada, it was recently made available to OPN partners in the Middle East, United Kingdom and Australia.
Under Our Wing: This successful, multi-year Avnet program has continually expanded in new ways to help Oracle OPN partners obtain their OPN Specialization.In particular, Avnet recently introduced a series of Oracle Exadata Database Machine boot camps. Throughout these three-day expert instructor-led workshops, partners receive a combination of lectures and hands-on operation with Oracle Exadata Database Machine. Attendees leave with a thorough understanding of how Oracle Exadata Database Machine technology achieves its high performance and how to implement best practices for the Oracle Exadata Database Machine platform. Following the first two boot camps Avnet held, all attendees became Oracle certified in Oracle Exadata Database Machine implementation.
OPN partners can learn more about Avnet's business development tools for Oracle solutions at Oracle PartnerNetwork Exchange @ OpenWorld. Mike Hurst, who is a vice president and global supplier business executive focused on Avnet's Oracle relationship worldwide, will be speaking during the Oracle PartnerNetwork Exchange @ OpenWorld Keynote on Sunday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. PT, at Moscone North, Hall D. In addition, Avnet will be hosting a panel moderated by Mike Houghton, vice president of VAR Solutions, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. The session, "Avnet Transforms Channel Solutions for a New Era," will be held at the Marriott Marquis, Golden Gate C1 on Monday, October 1 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. PT.
"We've been using Avnet's business development tools, and they've helped us close deals faster and engage in more consultative conversations with our customers," said Marco Mohajer, executive vice president at Technologent, a leading global provider of technology infrastructure solutions and Avnet partner. "The enhancements Avnet has made to their tools will save us time that we'd normally spend on research and hunting for information. The tools will allow us to concentrate our time and resources on customers, paving a clear path to move sales opportunities forward."
Avnet is a Platinum level member of OPN. To learn more about Avnet's programs for Oracle partners, please email executive.assistants@avnet.com to arrange meetings or to visit the company's hospitality suite at Oracle OpenWorld 2012.
Follow Avnet Technology Solutions, North America, on Twitter: @AvnetAdvantage.
During Oracle Open World 2012, follow us on Twitter: @SeeAvnetAtOOW and use the hashtag #AvnetOOW.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork
Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is the latest version of Oracle's partner program that provides partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to differentiate through Specializations. Specializations are achieved through competency development, business results, expertise and proven success. To find out more, visit http://www.oracle.com/partners.
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About Avnet Technology Solutions
As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. The group serves customers and suppliers in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. It generated US $10.8 billion in annual revenue for fiscal year 2012. Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.
About Avnet
Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers globally. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, Avnet generated revenue of $25.7 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.
Brodeur Partners, for Avnet Technology Solutions
Marcia Chapman, 480-308-0284
mchapman@brodeur.com
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