Excerpts:
CT: What does the Oracle cloud partner program entail?
Kaushik:Oracle Cloud Partner program currently has an array of unique offerings to fit specific customer needs as well as each individual partner interest level:
• Cloud Referral – This allows partners to participate in the program with very low up-front investment, but benefit from positioning Oracle Cloud services and receive a referral fee for new business closed.
• Cloud Specialization – Like all of our OPN specializations, this allows a partner to be recognized for their expertise in a specific cloud service and drive more revenue opportunities.
• Cloud Resell –Partners to participate in the entire lifecycle of the subscription and the opportunity to benefit in add on, upgrade and renewals as they occur.
• Cloud Builder – This is designed for those partners who are building a private cloud solution for customers
CT: What is the Oracle Cloud Service Referral Program?
Kaushik:It is a program that compensates partners for referring business to Oracle specific to Oracle’s public Cloud Services offerings (cloud.oracle.com). The Oracle Cloud Service Referral program is open to Oracle Partner Network members in good standing.
CT: What is the compensation model for referring an Oracle Cloud service opportunity to Oracle?
Kaushik:Oracle offers a referral fee for Oracle Cloud service subscriptions that are sold directly by Oracle to referred end customers. The referral fee is paid up front on the guaranteed value of the contract however the subscription term must be for a minimum of one year. Month-to-month subscriptions are not applicable. For customers not interested in reduced subscription cost benefits of an annual or multi-year subscription, they can be directed to cloud.oracle.com where they can subscribe directly on a month-to-month basis.
What are Oracle Partner Network(OPN) Cloud Service Specializations?
Kaushik:These specializations distinguish partners for their expertise in delivering Oracle Cloud services to customers and offer greater revenue opportunity to partners as customers actively seek specialized partners to help them meet their business requirements. Incorporated within each of the OPN Cloud specializations is training and enablement which delivers the skill set Oracle Partners need to successfully setup and deploy Oracle Cloud services on a fixed scope basis.
Oracle offers OPN Specializations on Oracle Applications offered in a Software as a Service (SaaS) deployment model on cloud.oracle.com. At this time, there is not a specific OPN Specialization yet available for Oracle Platform as a Service application (e.g., Java or Database Cloud Service) from the Oracle Cloud.
CT: What are the criteria for a partner to become an OPN Cloud Service Specialist?
Kaushik:The specific criteria for each Oracle Cloud service are detailed in the criteria table for each OPN Cloud Service Specialization within the respective Knowledge Zone. Criteria tables are located within Application Knowledge Zones under the Specialize Tab. For applicable applications you’ll see an Oracle Cloud Service Specialization listed. In general, partners need to have Sales, Pre-Sales, and Certified Implementation and Support specialists that have passed the assessments. Additional business criteria may apply and may differ from one Oracle Cloud service to the next.
CT: Can you talk about Oracle Cloud resale program?
Kaushik:Oracle also offers partners the opportunity to resell Oracle Cloud services directly to their clients. Through the Oracle Cloud resale program partners participate in the lifetime value of the subscription including add-on, upgrade and renewal opportunities as they arise.
The resale of Oracle Cloud services applies only to one or multi-year subscription agreements. Month-to-month subscriptions are not eligible for resale. For those customers not interested in reduced subscription cost benefits of an annual or multi-year subscription, they can be directed to cloud.oracle.com where they can subscribe directly on a month-to-month basis.
CT: How does the subscription model work in the Oracle Cloud resale program?
Kaushik:For qualified Oracle Cloud reselling partners, Oracle will bill the partner directly at a flat rate discount off of the list price of the Oracle Cloud service subscription. This flat rate discount applies to the entire term of the subscription and remains flat for multi-year terms. Oracle requires annual payments for the subscription service up front subject to its standard payment terms and conditions. The partner bills the end user directly on the partners own terms and conditions.
CT: How are the key requirements a partner should have for reselling Oracle Cloud services?
Kaushik:The Oracle Cloud Resale program is open to any partner that is an OPN member at the Gold, Platinum or Diamond level with a valid Oracle Full Use Program Distribution Agreement (FUDA). Partners must meet the following additional criteria to qualify for the Oracle Cloud Resale program:
• Complete the specific Oracle Cloud Service Specialization(s) for the Oracle Cloud Service(s) to be resold.
• Develop and bring to market a fixed scope Oracle Cloud Service implementation offering for the Oracle Cloud service to be resold.
• Execute the Cloud Services Distribution Addendum (CSDA) to the FUDA (final step)
As an example, to resell the Oracle Fusion CRM Cloud Service, a partner will need to have the Oracle Fusion CRM Cloud Service Specialization and offer a fixed scope implementation offering to their market.
CT: How are partners enabled to deliver an Oracle Cloud Service fixed scope implementation offering?
Kaushik:Oracle has developed a set of best practices to ensure the successful setup and configuration of each Oracle Cloud service. These best practices are delivered to partners through online training via the OPN Competency Center guided learning paths (GLPs) for each specific Oracle Cloud Service Specialization.
In certain cases and as part of the Specialization process, partners may be granted access to best practices, methodologies and tools that are the intellectual property of Oracle. In these cases partners may be required to sign an agreement to govern the use of the intellectual property and to obtain the rights to use the intellectual property for the purpose of delivering a fixed scope implementation offering.