Dropbox makes play for NZ business

Dropbox has turned its attention to New Zealand businesses with the launch of a channel partner programme here to support its Dropbox for Business offering.

The programme was introduced in the United States nearly a year ago, several months after the company launched Dropbox for Business.

Adam Nelson, Dropbox head of channel sales and partnerships, says the programme is designed to help partners sell, manage and support Dropbox for Business, which combines the same end-user experience Dropbox consumer users are used to, with the administrative controls companies want to provide control, visibility and centralised management as well as increased security features.

“There is huge potential for Dropbox for Business internationally, and New Zealand has been one of the markets we have really heard from partners wanting us to bring the [channel partner] programme to them,” Nelson says.

The Dropbox Partner Network was opened up to IT solution providers, MSPs and VARs in New Zealand, Australia, the European Union and Canada yesterday.

“We see our partners as an integral part of our go to market internationally, and in New Zealand in particular,” Nelson says.

The programme includes access to a partner portal which offers lead registration, purchasing and client management tools. Partners will also receive sales and marketing collateral and training.

Partners will receive recurring margins on renewals and upsells of between 15% to 25%, depending on their standing in the programme, however, Nelson says the real benefits extend beyond that.

“There are three main plays,” says Nelson. “With four million businesses using Dropbox, there is the opportunity to generate new business and new leads with a differentiated offering. There’s also opportunity in the deployment and management of Dropbox with partners’ existing customer base. And the ease of supply and use means what is normally a pain point can significantly decline, by switching to Dropbox.”