VMware was facing challenges with tier 1 and 2 channel partners not delivering expected growth in the midmarket space. Funded heads provided by partners were not providing focus or driving VMware's interests, and there was no ROI tracking. Gorilla proposed deploying funded professionals who would be hired and managed by Gorilla but badged as VMware. These professionals would work with partners to focus on cross-selling VMware solutions, developing reference accounts, and helping partners prove solution value and security. With Gorilla's funded professionals program, partners systematically achieved or exceeded quarterly targets, and sales were up to 60% higher than partners without funded professionals. The program also drove greater partner loyalty and mindshare for VMware.

1. CHALLENGES
Tier 1 and tier 2 channel partners were expected to perform better in the midmarket space.
Existing funded heads were not delivering growth.
1. Corporate executive directives required a level of mid-market (commercial segment)
growth that was not being achieved by important national level partners.
2. Mdf funds were passed to some vars as funded head money. Funded heads provided by
the partners were not providing focus and growth, and not driving the vendor’s interests.
There was no roi tracking.
Cloud partners needed to better monetize vmware cloud solutions
• In the cloud solutions business, MSPs working through major aggregators were not
delivering growth, and much of the accounts were running VMware solutions without
tracking and payments.
SOLUTION
• In both cases, the core reason for the pain was insufficient partner engagement by the
vendor.
• MDF passed directly to the partner would be used to amortize the cost of existing
employees by the partner. Said employees were not designed to provide VMware with the
focus it required, and were not accountable.
VMWARE SOLUTION SPECIALISTS
(FUNDED HEADS)
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GORILLA CORPORATION - CASE STUDY
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...
info@gorillaict.com | +1 925 3651161 | www.gorillaict.com
“ ”YOUR FUNDED PROFESSIONAL IS THE WIND IN OUR BACK.
— VAR EXECUTIVE

2. • Gorilla proposed the deployment of a Funded Professional program, whereby Gorilla...
would hire, payroll, deploy and manage such a team of solution specialists. These Funded
Professionals are badged VMware and have access to all VMware resources and are
typically desk bound resident at the partner location. They work in a team with the VARs
sales organization to deliver focus, support and the ability of cross sell and upsell VMware
solutions within the VAR’s data center client.
• The Funded Professionals act as resident brand Ambassadors and move over the vendor’s
agenda within the partner.
• The Funded Professionals are focused on ROI, developing reference accounts, introducing
cross sell products, and helping the partners to prove solution security.
• In the MSP space, Gorilla was able to redress delinquent accounts, working closely with
Cloud aggregators and the partners in their ecosystem. Enabling these cloud partners to
increase their profitable revenue by correctly tracking and billing virtualized cloud usage.
• The Funded Professionals are tightly managed, with weekly cadence reporting, they have
weekly training and motivational refresh calls. They are driven to achieve Vendor targets
by their Gorilla Manager, who in this particular case is resident at VMware Headquarters in
Palo Alto, CA.
RESULTS
• Gorilla Funded Professionals systematically achieve or exceed their quarterly targets.
• When comparing against partners that do not have a Funded Professional, a sales delta of
up to 60% can be shown.
• The program has driven greater partner loyalty and mindshare.
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© 2015 GORILLA CORPORATION // ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
GORILLA FUNDED PROFESSIONALS ARE SOLUTION SALES
SPECIALISTS, NOT ORDER TAKERS
— VMWARE
“ ”
“ ”YOUR TEAM ALWAYS OUTPERFORMS THE REST
— VMWARE
info@gorillaict.com | +1 925 3651161 | www.gorillaict.com