Can Sell With Confluent help partners capture data streaming market?

Sell With Confluent is a new reseller program that the vendor hopes can enable partners to meet the growing demand for data streaming platforms.

Confluent has announced a new reseller program that the vendor hopes will give system integrators the edge needed to drive sales and grow their business in the data streaming market. The Sell With Confluent program empowers partners with automated quotes, instant approvals, and co-marketing funds to fuel their growth.

With data streaming a strategic priority for IT leaders, it’s also the backbone of most modern businesses, creating a massive opportunity for system integrators to meet customer demand and lead the market in real-time solutions. The challenge though is with traditional reselling models as partners are held back with complex approval processes, unclear incentive structures, and lengthy deal cycles.

This is where Sell With Confluent hopes to enable partners with greater opportunities by addressing these challenges and providing partners with tools and expertise to sell faster and capture market share.

According to Kamal Brar, Senior Vice President, Partners and Technology Group at Confluent (pictured above), partners continue to see the demand for a data streaming platform by businesses globally.

"Sell With Confluent removes what's been holding them back: slow approvals, murky pricing, complicated processes. We've made it simple so they can capitalize on the opportunity in front of them,” he said.

Interestingly, the new program comes at an interesting time for the vendor as well. Confluent is currently in the process of being acquired by IBM, and it remains to be seen how the program will be impacted once the acquisition closes.

However, what’s interesting is how the program kind of ties a bit with IBM’s goal of increasing volume and velocity in its partner program as well. Specifically, the three pillars designed in Sell With Confluent are designed to help system integrators close deals faster, earn more on every transaction, and scale their data streaming practices with confidence. This is something that IBM is also looking to enable more in its partner program.

Taking a deeper look at the three pillars, first Confluent aims to accelerate profitability and incentives through a restructured rewards framework that ensures partners are highly compensated for sourcing and closing deals, which creates opportunities for double-digit discounts that are market competitive.

Second, there is high-velocity automation whereby new self-service quoting tools will enable instant quote generation with programmatic discounts applied automatically. Partners also benefit from deal protection that safeguards sourced opportunities, ensuring that their pipeline investments are secure.

Finally, Confluent is focusing on strategic marketing and co-investing with partners. The Business Investment Fund (BIF) provides access to co-investment funds for marketing activities that include workshops, regional events, and customer engagement programs. Partners can leverage pre-built regional playbooks to maximize local relevance and impact.

Sell With Confluent in APAC

In the APAC region, Sandeep Shirodkar, Regional Head for APJ, Partners and Technology Group at Confluent highlighted that the new reseller program ensures partners can meet increasing demand with speed and confidence.

“With APAC being one of the fastest-growing regions for real-time data and AI, we are ensuring there are in-country experts certified to meet the diverse needs of each country. Together, we’re enabling more partners to build profitable, full-service streaming practices, helping customers unlock new value and insights,” Shirodkar stated.

Jason Lin, MD, iZeno, a Confluent partner believes the launch of Sell With Confluent will act as an accelerator for iZeno as it continues to scale its dedicated data streaming practice across the APJ region. Lin shared that the program is also a well-timed initiative as AI implementation increases the need for context-driven trusted data pipelines, where Confluent is the clear leader.

“By integrating this program into our core offerings, we are providing our clients with a streamlined, enterprise-ready path to harness the power of Confluent’s industry-leading data streaming platform with iZeno’s deep localized technical expertise. This is essential for the real-time demands of modern AI and hybrid cloud architectures and will significantly reduce time-to-value for our customers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Venkatesh R, Chief Revenue Officer at iValue Infosolutions, also a Confluent partner, shared that its clients across India, Southeast Asia and SAARC countries are dealing with complex hybrid-cloud environments that demand real-time data.

“Sell With Confluent helps us deliver that faster. With automated approvals and clear economics, we can scale our streaming practice and focus on helping enterprises build the infrastructure they need for digital transformation,” Venkatesh said.

For Anuj Kaushal, Senior Manager, Global Partnerships at Persistent Systems, which is also a Confluent partner, speed is everything when customers need to modernize their data infrastructure.

“Sell With Confluent helps us scale our streaming business quickly and meet customer demand without delay. This simplicity lets our team focus on what matters: helping customers modernize and innovate with real-time solutions,” Kaushal commented.