MokaFive earlier this year launched a new partner program designed to add resellers to its existing program for managed service providers (MSPs). The Redwood City, Calif.-based company provides software that enables IT departments to create, deploy, and manage virtual desktops on any device – PCs, Macs, BareMetal computers, and mobile devices. And the newest MokaFive for iOS provides secure access to corporate files from iPads and iPhones.
The program is designed to enable VARs and system integrators to build businesses around desktop virtualization, BYOD, and Mac/Apple in the workplace.
Purnima Padmanabhan, COO of MokaFive, explains that the company’s software can now be provisioned in two ways: MSPs can still host it in the cloud, or SMBs and enterprises can have it installed in their own data centers, thus opening the door for resellers. Partners can sell MokaFive software as a standalone solution or integrated with hardware and services.
MokaFive recognized that a hybrid type of provider was emerging among MSPs and resellers, and that the lead time for MSPs closing a sale was much longer than for resellers, Padmanabhan explains. The company’s “20 to 40 [MSP] partners were coming back to us saying it would be much faster if I could just sell the product.”
“Once a deal is registered, we stop any calling into that account, and we make sure we track those deals with partners to see if they need any help.” Purnima Padmanabhan, COO, MokaFive
The MokaFive product is designed to be simple and easy to use, Padmanabhan says, securing and managing corporate data and devices without overburdening the end user. This is particularly important, she says, with the BYOD trend adding to the security challenge. “We take the desktop environment – OS, database, etc. – and put it in a virtual machine and bubble wrap it so it’s fully encrypted. The bubble is centrally managed, and you can instantly provision a secure environment. The model is very easy to implement; there’s little infrastructure and investment, and you can be up and running in days with a managed, secure environment.”
That simplicity, says Padmanabhan, makes MokaFive “very channel friendly. Ease of use and rapid ROI are often very important to the channel.” Now with the new partner program, the company is aligning its product direction and go-to-market strategy with a channel approach.
The partner program has three levels: silver, gold, and platinum. Silver partners get access to the the partner portal, competitive information, marketing materials, use of the MokaFive logo, customer reference submission, and an online welcome pack. Gold and platinum partners can also take advantage of advance product information, deal registration, product beta programs, technical training, partner events, and more. Platinum partners are also eligible for an internal licensing program.
Padmanabhan says since MokaFive launched the reseller program “there has been a huge influx of interest, and we’ve focused a lot on recruitment.” She says when a partner brings MokaFive into an account they get to register the deal, get full credit, and there is no channel conflict.
“The other nice thing, once a deal is registered, we stop any calling into that account, and we make sure we track those deals with partners to see if they need any help. We have to handhold the first few deals, then once they’re successful it starts rolling pretty fast.”
MokaFive offers partners a three-day training and certification program. After they are trained and certified, partners receive leads and qualified prospects from the company’s inside sales force. “Our goal is to fulfill those deals through the partner organization. It will be our primary engine to drive lead generation. The inside team calls on an account, validates them, then it goes into a partner queue,” Padmanabhan says.
Going forward, MokaFive will be investing in two or three areas of the partner program, she says. First is the partner portal, with additions such as online certification and training as well as more educational materials. The second area is regional and vertical industries recruitment. “We’re strong in healthcare, financial services, and oil and gas, so we’ll be identifying resellers who have practices in those areas.”
The third area will be developing joint activities and programs that MokaFive can make more “programmatized,” she says, and starting lunch-and-learns in different regions in conjunction with partners.
While she said the company will still be doing some direct sales, over time it would like to derive most of its revenue from the channel. “We’re very excited about this program. Here is a solution solving an immediate business need for customers today, that’s very simple and easy to deploy. It will add to your practice immediately.”
