Last updated: January 10, 2020
The manufacturer of the Docusnap documentation solution, itelio, invites customers and other interested parties to enter into a partnership. In an interview, Benedikt Kappel, the responsible partner manager, explains what the partnership is about and presents its advantages.
Mr. Kappel, you are the partner manager for the Docusnap Partner Program. What is the target group of this program?
Since our product is very versatile and we thus serve a vast spectrum of potentially interested parties, it is important to offer a lucrative program in the areas of IT security, data privacy, infrastructure planning and consulting, both to IT specialists, such as IT systems providers and system integrators as well as to service providers, not to forget consulting agencies. It is certainly difficult to draw clear boundaries here, but we are very happy with the excellent feedback we received from many providers!
What are the advantages of a partnership with the manufacturer of the Docusnap documentation solution?
Basically, we grant our partners, from major corporations and large service providers to so-called lone wolfs and individuals, preferential terms for reselling licenses as well as for customizing and training. Thanks to the intensive and excellent support from our Kiefersfelden-based headquarters, and precisely not outsourced to some anonymous call centre, we handle incoming requests, both for quotes and for support, with utmost speed.
What are the conditions to become eligible for a partnership agreement?
As mentioned before, entering into a partnership is not too complex. Unlike some other manufacturers who set time-consuming and demanding requirements with respect to the channel, we only require a level-dependent online certification, that differs for Standard or Premium Partners. The goal is to ensure that our future partners provide a high quality of advice. Thus, we want to prevent that the final customers get wrong information, are not advised properly on the licensing scheme, or that a technician in the field has an embarrassing knowledge gap. In addition, we expect the commitment that is usual in industry, combined with a feasible turnover target – and offer an additional “kickback” incentive!
Are there different partner programs?
Each project for a customer is different and each customer has individual requirements. At Docusnap, we offer a two-level partner program – Premium partnership requires that a technician has been certified for Docusnap Professional. This, combined with our multi-tenant Docusnap Enterprise Edition, opens up very profitable and multifarious business models. But even for IT systems providers who own the Docusnap Enterprise Edition, but are no partners yet, it is interesting to emphasize their own service quality by the partner certificate.
Consequently, for an IT systems provider or consulting office, a partnership agreement is mainly beneficial and does not involve significant risks?
A business model with fabulous profits and without any risk is yet to be invented or discovered – but, yes, I am convinced that with Docusnap, partners can offer a product that requires a manageable effort to start with and then provides big opportunities. And, ultimately, this is what it is all about when you read “risk”, but are looking for an “opportunity”. I would like to mention two examples where the use of Docusnap in everyday customer business makes sense:
For instance, you can use Docusnap in customer acquisition for an initial inventory at a customer site – of course, this is not done for free, because it is a common belief that if it’s free, it can’t be any good. In return, you provide the customer with an excellent, up-to-date documentation. At the same time, you gather deep insight into the worries and headaches of your customer. This, in turn, is an excellent opportunity to place your portfolio – be it products or services – and offer great service. Once the project has been completed, you can further benefit by reselling Docusnap to the customer, possibly with customizations performed by you or an additional training provided by us. For both, we grant a fair commission.
Alternatively, Docusnap-as-a-service is an exciting thing: add Docusnap to your service portfolio and offer managed compliance in addition to managed services! With a Docusnap installation at your customer’s site, as a Premium or Enterprise Edition – depending on the customer’s size – you can monetise your own skills, make money with setup and support, and put across additional security for the customer in the form of data for ISO 27001, ISIS12, SOX, or HIPAA. At the same time, you do not serve your clients in the IT field alone, but you can offer powerful additional services by covering topics such as audit protection, prevention of shadow IT using Docusnap License Management, or the creation of emergency manuals based on Docusnap IT concepts. This way, you stand out from your competitors.
As the Docusnap manufacturer, it is understood that we support both approaches and will be pleased to assist you. Do not hesitate to contact us! Together, we build a powerful network.
Mr. Kappel, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview.