Red Hat partner program shake up aims to “prioritize the ecosystem” and supercharge collaboration

Red Hat has announced a refresh of its partner program in a move it says will offer greater simplicity, choice, and flexibility to partners collaborating with the open source giant. 

As part of the revamp, the company is launching a new program framework, which includes improved tools to drive streamlined cross-collaboration, as well as provide better access to key technology, training, and resources.

Slated for launch during the second half of 2024, key new features include the Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program and the Red Hat Demo Platform.

Red Hat says its new simplified model will enable improved transparency across its partner ecosystem, while a new modular program design will give partners greater choice and flexibility.

The open source specialist said the changes will also encourage ecosystem co-creation to deepen partner capabilities.

“This latest evolution of Red Hat’s partner engagement model sends a clear signal to our partners that Red Hat is prioritizing the ecosystem as the leading catalyst for customer value,” commented Stefanie Chiras, Red Hat’s senior vice president of Partner Ecosystem Success.

“In order to deliver on the promise of hybrid cloud with customers, it is critical that we innovate collectively and transparently, and empower partners with easy access to information and shared data so we can address our customers’ unique challenges as a united front.”

Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program

Red Hat’s partner engagement model overhaul includes the new Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program, which centers on identifying, enabling, validating, and incentivizing partners within the commercial segment to position them as tailored experts.

The firm says its aim is to help these partners lead the full commercial customer lifecycle, while leveraging the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat OpenShift to serve up differentiated business outcomes.

Partners involved in the program will have achieved Red Hat professional services credentials and certifications related to automation and application development and will have “extensive access” to resources and professional services to help tackle customers’ digital transformation roadmaps.

The invite-only Red Hat Partner Practice Accelerator Program is open to eligible global partners now. The current pool of participants includes: Li9, Linux Plus Information Systems, SEKOM, Stone Door Group, and System Vertrieb Alexander (SVA) GmbH.

Red Hat Demo platform

To complement its new engagement model, Red Hat says it is also working to make its resources, expertise, and portfolio of open source solutions more accessible to partners. 

Available via Red Hat Partner Connect, the new Red Hat Demo platform will offer on-demand product demos to help partners to demonstrate Red Hat’s range of solutions in a low risk environment, complete with step-by-step instructions and talking points for customers.

Scheduled for availability in May 2024, partners will be able to utilize multi-product demos and fully scripted workshops to deliver either one- or two- day experiences for their customers, while the platform will also provide early access to demos of new product releases ahead of time.