Salesforce.com Reinvents Partner Program, Adds Fees

Salesforce.com this week unveiled a new partner program with an elaborate scoring system designed to evaluate the comprehensive value of each partner, but the online CRM giant also introduced an annual partner fee.

The Salesforce Partner Program now involves a Partner Value Score, or PVS, that determines the tier for consulting partners -- either Platinum, Gold, Silver or Registered.

"Every partner receives a PVS based on the total contribution they make to Salesforce's business across three primary 'categories': ACV, Expertise, and Customer Success," Salesforce.com explained in a blog post. The ACV, or annual contract value, category counts for 45 percent of the PVS and is determined based on ACV and ACV growth. Expertise, at 35 percent of the score, includes ratings for certifications and specialization. The remaining 20 percent comes in the Customer Success category, which is based on customer satisfaction surveys and customer stories.

The new fees start for the Registered level at $1,000 in mature markets and $750 in emerging markets. Current partners have until April 30 to pay for their highest eligible tier, while new partners submit payments when they join, according to the blog post.

Other enhancements to the program include onboarding resources, updates to the Partner Community site, more partner development resources, sales and marketing aids, training resources and co-marketing funding.

Posted by Scott Bekker on February 05, 2015 at 12:22 PM