Over the last few years, Google has run a reseller program for Google Apps For Work, as well as programs around some of its other services. Today it is relaunching and consolidating these programs under the Google Apps for Work and Education Partner Program moniker.
The new partner program will combine Google’s existing programs around Apps, Chrome, Cloud Platform, Maps and Search. Google says the idea here is to allow its “partners to better sell, service and innovate across the Google for Work and Education suite of products and platforms.”
The new program will have three tracks: sales, services and technology. Here is how Google describes these:
- The Sales Track is for partners whose core competency is marketing and selling Google for Work and Education products at high volume. Selling includes ongoing account management and renewals associated with a partner’s customers.
- The Services Track is for partners who provide the full range of services to customers, such as selling, consulting, training, implementing and providing technical support for Google for Work and Education products.
- The Technology Track is for partners who create products and solutions that complement, enhance or extend the reach or functionality of Google for Work and Education products.
There will be two partner tiers: a standard tier and a premier tier for “partners that have demonstrated higher levels of excellence within their track.” While all partners will get access to Google’s Connect community for partners, listings in its partner directory and a resale discount for Google’s product, the premier partners will also get designated partner manager support, co-marketing opportunities and access to funding and financial incentives not available to its other partners.
As the WSJ first reported earlier today, Google is now giving resellers a 20% cut of the revenue it makes from Google Apps subscriptions they sell.
Google has traditionally worked with resellers to sell to enterprises, something it has never really focused on all that much. To increase its footprint in the enterprise, it needs to step up its sales efforts and this new partner program — combined with higher potential revenues for its resellers — is clearly meant to allow it to reach more potential customers.