Feedbacks and Further Supports for SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise Partners

In early 2013, we had the honor to host a North America partner focus group event in SAP Palo Alto office for SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise. There are 8 partners from the NA region joining the one-day event. During the event, we shared with our partners product updates and the progress of successful customer adoption of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise. We also took this opportunity to capture thoughts and feedbacks on how we could further improve support for our partners on both business development and technical enablement. Some of the feedbacks resonated with the result of partner survey we conducted at the end of 2012.

Below are the top 5 feedbacks that we collected from our partners during the event.

1. Strengthen marketing support for SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise on both partner services and solutions.
2. Increase transparency of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise pricing model
3. Simplify route to market for partner solutions and guide partner navigating SAP sales channel
4. Continue to educate partner on positioning of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise especially when compared to other SAP offerings
5. Provide delta functional and technical enablement sessions with the new release of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise.

As our answers to those feedbacks, we are now putting together actions to further improve support for our partners in the below areas.  

1. Continue to increase adoption of partner solutions. A Partner-built Solutions Campaign for 2013 was launched in April. Benefits of the campaign include technical enablement, solution certification, and support of partner solutions go-to-market. This year’s campaign continues to target existing SAP SIs, VARs as well as independent software vendors (ISVs). If you missed the webinar sessions, you can find them here. 
2. Leverage existing offerings for partners from SAP eco system and channel team. For example Mobile Application Partner Program (MAPP) is a SAP partner program which would help listing partner solutions in SAP store based on SAP NetWeaver Gateway or Duet Enterprise. Enablement sessions for SAP NetWeaver Gateway are provided as part of the MAPP.
3. Continue to execute social media marketing efforts for SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise products and partner solutions. Follow both the product channels in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube, and SCN.
4. Establish Virtual Fair for SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise Customers. Virtual Fair is a new type of event we are organizing to increase exposure of partner certified solutions and generate more leads for those solutions. The goal of the virtual fair is to create a platform connecting customers and partners by their common interest – SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise solutions, from a seller (partner) and buyer (customer) perspectives. The first Virtual Fair is planned for the end of Q2 2013. Detail of Virtual Fair can be found here.
5. Establish a Partner Enablement Kit to provide:
   • Updated value proposition of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise based on new releases
   • Updated positioning of SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise vs. Other SAP technologies
   • Marketing assets for partners – e.g. guidance on how to participate existing SAP marketing events and navigate SAP sales channel such as inside sales
   • Guidance for  partner on SAP NetWeaver Gateway and Duet Enterprise pricing model
   • Guidance on partner-built solutions campaign and its included benefits as technical enablement, solution certification, and support of partner solutions go-to-market
6. Increase awareness and participation of SAP Partner-led RDS program. SAP Partner-led RDS program is now an open program for qualified partners and solutions. Partner will leverage SAP’s rapid-deployment solution framework, differentiate their solution offerings, and increase customer adoptions of their solutions by making use of the SAP Rapid-deployment solution momentum to drive their sales. Follow the link to find more information on SAP Partner-Led Rapid-Deployment Solutions.

Many of these proposed improvements are now in full steam progressing while I am writing this blog. For example, SAP NetWeaver Gateway pricing is now available in SAP store and will become part of the pricing guidance included in Partner Enablement Kit. To view the SAP NetWeaver Gateway pricing, go to SAP Store and search for SAP NetWeaver Gateway User License. Scheduling of the Virtual Fair is also getting closed to be released. So stay tuned for the coming.