Tibco details new global partner programme

Tibco has raised the curtain on a new global partner programme for its business intelligence (BI) and analytics channel, the Tibco Analytics Partner Programme.

The new programme will combine the two programmes of Tibco’s BI acquisitions, Spotfire and Jaspersoft.

Tibco acquired open-source BI platform vendor Jaspersoft in April 2014, bolstering its existing BI offerings based on its 2007 acquisition of Spotfire. It went on to create a separate analytics unit, Tibco Analytics, claiming to now offer a single platform that combines BI reporting with data discovery analytics and visualisation.

“Jaspersoft didn’t do the deep data discovery visualisation stuff, and on the flip side Spotfire had challenges providing a pixel-perfect reporting solution that was embedded into an application,” explains Paul Kochanski, director of global channels at TIBCO Analytics.

“Today it doesn’t matter what analytics BI opportunity the partner has, we have the solution that encompasses both.”

The new programme will offer four partner levels: Standard, Gold, Platinum and a Global tier for large SIs.

It includes an upgrade programme to train and certify both sets of channel partners on the other product line. “At their renewal period we do ask them to upgrade, and we haven’t had any that have said no,” says Kochanski.

The changes also mean a move to Jaspersoft’s subscription-based licensing system from Spotfire’s perpetual licence model.

“The Spotfire play has traditionally been more enterprise, the perpetual licensing to compete with the Tableaus and QlikViews of this world; it wasn’t conducive for the SMB market,” says Kochanski.

“We will still sell perpetual licences for Spotfire if the end user insists on that, but we lead with subscription, which is more cost effective for the customer.”

Tibco analytics has 300 combined channel partners worldwide, with 130 in EMEA. Kochanski says one of his goals over the next three years is to bump up the percentage of sales that go through the channel. Currently 30 percent of Tibco Analytics’ sales are indirect, and he is looking to increase this to more than 50 percent.

“The whole idea is to make the channel a real revenue stream,” he says. “I want to grow this to be over 50 percent, and that’s a monumental task. 20 percent extra doesn’t sound like a lot but when you multiply it by the amount of business we’re doing it is a lot.”

The exec says one of the biggest challenges Tibco faces will be increasing market awareness. As such it will be implementing more targeted marketing, as well as leveraging relationships with the likes of HP, which it’s working with on its BI Modernisation Services.

Tibco has offices in 18 cities across Europe. As well as a new Dublin office, courtesy of last year’s Jaspersoft acquisition, it has opened offices in the Heron Tower in the City of London.