Sun Channel Program

The Sun channel model has been created to accommodate the diverse needs of our Partners. The Sun Partner Advantage Program supports this model and provides the following offerings to participants:

• Programmes and channel support services for each type of Partner.
• Rewards for Partners who have invested in acquiring and building extensive value added skills, which provide effective customer solutions on Sun's technology platforms and development environments.
• Joint go-to-market strategy focused on the market needs, where the Partner's and Sun's offerings are perfectly assembled and competitively positioned.
• Enhancement of Partners' value to the market through the inclusion of all of Sun's Support, Consulting and Learning (Educational) Services.

Membership Level

Program Membership Level is determined by a Partner's skills and business commitments. A Partner's Program Membership Level will be determined when a Partner joins the Program. When a partner, based on its skills and business commitments, meets the requirements for the next level of Program Membership, the Partner will be promoted subsequent fiscal quarter start date

Associate Level

Partners who maintain minimum levels of competency can participate in the Sun Partner Advantage Programme at the Associate membership level. These partners receive a baseline set of partner benefits, which include access on a first come first serve basis to the Sun Partner Advantage Training Programme credits and also certain financial benefits. There are no minimum revenue thresholds to achieve at this level.

Principal Level

To progress above the Associate Level and achieve Principal Level, a Sun Partner Advantage Partner must invest in additional certification training for their personnel and achieve accreditation in more Sun Partner platforms. Principal Level Partners receive additional benefits and financial incentives recognising their extra investment.

Executive Level

To progress above the Principal Level and achieve Executive Level, a Sun Partner Advantage Partner must make an additional investment in training and certification of personnel achieving further accreditation in additional Sun Partner Advantage platforms. Partners who participate at the Executive level receive allocated Go-To-Market funds and allocated Sun Partner Advantage Training Programme credits in addition to financial incentives recognising their extra investment.

SPA Structural Overview

Sun has developed competency and accreditation curriculum paths for Partners to focus on, and to earn benefits that support their business objectives. Partners can select from four product lines, which offer the most value to their business and customers.

Each Platform accreditation has a training curriculum path for sales representatives (SRs) and sales engineers (SEs). Services Accreditations are available for sales and delivery of Standard and Managed Services.

Sun also plans to offer solution-oriented Intellectual Capital (IC) based specialties, with accreditation, commitments, and benefits. In the future, these specialties are built around professional services that address key customer business issues. Specialty offerings are expected to include identity management, enterprise consolidation, business applications, and information life cycle management. More information will be made available as the Sun Partner Advantage Program evolves.