Snom has expanded support for its channel partners with changes to its Gold and Silver partner programme and a new technical training centre. The measures are intended to simplify procurement and improve partner expertise.
The updated programme changes how certified resellers access rebates, discounts and bonuses. Gold and Silver partners can now receive those purchasing benefits directly through their chosen Snom distributor, rather than submitting documents separately to the vendor.
This marks a shift from the previous process, which required partners to submit claims for bonus payments under the programme. The revised structure is intended to reduce administration and provide a clearer route to approved purchasing terms.
The model also gives distributors a more direct role in projects and in dealings with specialist resellers. By linking rebates to designated distributors, Snom is moving more of the commercial process into its existing channel structure.
For partners, the change could affect margins and pricing flexibility in customer deals. Gold and Silver partners will receive more attractive purchasing terms than other specialist retailers, helping them offer more competitive pricing to end customers.
Training centre
Alongside the commercial changes, Snom has launched a Competence Centre to provide technical training across key product areas, including desk phones, DECT systems and hospitality endpoints. The training is aimed at specialist retailers, system integrators, installers and distributors.
The centre reflects a broader shift in training preferences from in-person sessions to digital delivery. Snom also pointed to the growing complexity of VoIP and wider communications installations, which require stronger planning and technical support.
Courses are delivered by technicians from Snom's engineering and support teams and are based on practical deployment scenarios. Participants use hardware and carry out configuration tasks designed to mirror installation conditions in customer environments.
The training portfolio includes a course on IP desk phones covering installation, provisioning and fault-finding. A separate DECT course focuses on the planning and operation of DECT infrastructure, from single-cell deployments to larger multi-cell set-ups.
Snom has also created a specialist course for hospitality and healthcare settings. It covers communication systems designed for environments with stricter data protection requirements, along with speed-dial concepts, provisioning, management processes, device monitoring and firmware handling.
International scope
The training is available across multiple time zones and in several languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Polish. Participants who complete the courses will receive certifications intended to demonstrate their knowledge to customers.
The move underlines the importance vendors continue to place on channel education as communications systems become more integrated and deployment demands increase. Resellers and integrators are often expected to manage planning, installation, interoperability and ongoing support across a broader mix of customer requirements than in earlier generations of telephony products.
Snom's latest changes are intended to address both the commercial and technical sides of that challenge. Easier access to programme benefits may reduce friction for certified partners, while structured training could help them manage more complex implementation work with less reliance on vendor support.
Gianmaria Tononi, Team Lead Support at Snom, also leads the new training concept. "With the further development of our partner programme and the expansion of the Competence Centre, we are laying the foundations for even closer and more efficient cooperation with our partners," said Tononi.
"Our goal is to make technical complexity manageable and sustainably increase the quality of projects on the market," said Tononi.