THE POWER OF

PARTNERSHIPS

XX/XX/2011

VARs THAT PARTNER TOGETHER,

PROFIT TOGETHERBusiness cooperation is not a new idea, but it is a good one.

Eons ago, the caveman who was a certified wheel specialist

partnered with the caveman who was a certified axel specialist

and together, they increased each of their businesses 10-fold.

They then connected with the fur trader who lived over the

mountain, which added a new revenue stream to each of

their businesses, while introducing their products to a whole

new geography. Everybody won.

And thus, the story that was told so long ago, was retold

time and time again throughout the ages. Partnering works.

Partnering is good. Partnering is a low-overhead approach

to expanding your sales force, geographic reach, technical

ability and vertical market expertise. This is especially true

in the technology industry, which is constantly changing

and whose solutions include a host of overlapping products

from a variety of manufacturers.

70% of surveyed vArs thAt pArtnered hAve reAlized incrementAl Business opportunities or sAles As A result of A vAr pArtnership.

*Based on a september 2010 survey response

i sell throughout the us but don’t have a

physical presence outside the ny metro

area. i will contact another vAr to ask

them to do the work. it helps me get

the sale as well as create a reciprocal

lead relationship.

*Based on a september 2010 survey response

SCANSOURCE:BRINGING CHANNEL PARTNERS TOGETHER

As the leading international distributor of specialty

technology products, it was a natural for ScanSource

to assist in bringing Value-added Resellers (VARs),

Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Manufacturers

together for mutual benefit. After all, we are the

common connection, and we have a significant history

of offering networking opportunities and VAR-to-VAR

leads. In 2010, we looked to be more proactive in our

ability to facilitate partnerships throughout the channel

and make it easier for our reseller partners to connect.

Our first step? Reach out to our reseller community

to discover their ideas on partnering.

56%

44%

70%

of vArs hAve pArtnered with Another vAr on A deAl or Business opportunity

of vArs hAve pArtnered more thAn five times

of pArtnering vArs hAve reAlized incrementAl Business opportunities or sAles As A result of these pArtnerships

We surveyed 1,200+ VARs and discovered that most have partnered with another VAR for a business opportunity to great success.

SpecificAlly, We diScoVeRed thAt:

these are the top line results.

And when you drill deeper,

based on individual responses,

you’ll discover that most VARS are

in favor of partnerships for lead

generation, expansion of sales team,

regional growth and complementary

technology. They know if they can’t

offer their customers new products

and services, they’ll look to someone

who can. They also indicated it was

more successful for them to seek

out partnerships versus waiting on

partnerships to come to them.

MIKE BAURScanSource CEO

over 50% of our channel partners actively engage

in partnering together to extend their business reach.

so we realized that if we can put together a tool to help

our partners identify potential strategic partnerships

more efficiently and quickly, scansource vArs

will be in a position to win more deals.

So, we learned that VARs are open to the idea

of partnering. We learned that VARs are typically

successful when they partner on deals and

opportunities. And we know that ScanSource is in

regular communication with a host of VARs, ISVs

and Manufacturers throughout the channel and

all over the globe. And while the cavemen of old

used drums and grunts to find suitable partners

in business, we have slightly more sophisticated

tools at our disposal in today’s environment.

YOUR ONLINE PARTNER CONNECTION

SUMOPARTNER.COM

The result of all this research, insight and relationship building

is the introduction of SUMopartner.com, a powerful online tool

created to provide networking and partnering opportunities for

VARs, Hardware Manufacturers, ISVs and Channel Affiliates–

companies that provide products or services that compliment

technology solutions.

through sumo, members can extend

their reach by finding partners in

other technologies and geographies,

enabling them to be more competitive

and strengthen their product offering.

sumo allows members to seek out

potential partners by entering specific

search criteria, which then returns

companies that match those needs.

VARs can identify companies with specific technology, geography or vertical market expertise.

iSVs can identify high potential VAR partners to market their software solutions.

hardware manufacturers can locate VARs with specific skill sets in certain geographies.

Manufacturers, VARs and iSVs have access to channel affiliates for hard to find products and services.

And it’s a place where end users online can find the VAR that offers solutions they’re looking for.

MEMBERS PROVIDERS

2,60

0+

1,30

0+

VARsVeNdoRSiSV

SeRViceS

USeRS

sumo is an international online “networking tool”, supported by all scansource, inc. business units in all geographies, and comprised of the key types of businesses in the specialty technology space.

VARsVeNdoRS

iSVAffiliAteS

DESIGNED IN THE CHANNEL,

FOR THE CHANNELThe World Wide Web is a big place. What makes sumopartner.com

stand out amid the other tools that offer VARs access to partnership

opportunities, is that it brings all channel relationships together in

one place: VARs, ISVs, Vendors and Channel Affiliates. The cavemen

of old had to search from village to village to find a partner that they

connected with. Whereas with sumopartner.com we understand

the channel’s needs and how it operates. We’ve put it all in one

place. A place where you can connect with the partners that

will help you expand, evolve and ultimately… succeed.

SUMOPARTNER.COM

“other vAr partners have a vertical specialty that is distinct from our company… we combine our collective expertise to win the deal.

having vAr partners is similar to having more sales people on the street.”

PARTNER.COM

*Based on a september 2010 survey response

We have found SUMo to be a great networking tool.

We are looking to grow the number of resellers offering

our poS software, and SUMo has allowed us to speak to

management-level representatives of companies that we

never would have learned about if it weren’t for this tool.

We are clearly talking to the right universe of people and

look forward to gaining new business opportunities.

HILI SHREMDirector of Business Development

Visual Retail Plus

SUMOPARTNER.COMVISIT

TO SET UP YOURFREE MEMBER ACCOUNT