Samsung One launches with emphasis on mobility

Samsung has cut the ribbon on a new partner programme, recognising that the last few months of the Covid-19 pandemic have underlined the need for the vendor to increase its digital connections with the channel.

The Samsung One programme boasts a number of features, and the decision to arm partners with an app that covers incentives, rewards and training information is being seen as a smart move, given the increased adoption of digital tools across the channel.

Most vendors have responded to the lockdown restrictions by increasing digital marketing support and by putting training modules that would have been run physically onto virtual platforms.

Along with the mobile app, Samsung is also providing specific B2B training, providing incentives for those that hit targets and drive best practice, and is also launching a champion programme, a community where knowledge can be shared between resellers.

Those that get involved with the champion community will find themselves rewarded with being among the first to get training around the vendor's devices and the prospect of being invited to what will become annual industry champions events.  

Samsung One has four tiers – registered, authorised, advanced and elite – which are based on targets. The idea is to make sure those that fall into each band will be given access to support and tools that will be more relevant for their business.

Commercial, marketing and training benefits vary between tiers, but the vendor emphasisied that all will be given access to its Business Services Centre telephone support and Knox, the firm’s security portfolio.

Joe Walsh, director of B2B at Samsung UK & Ireland, said the experiences of the last few months of the pandemic had made it clear that the company needed to provide more options for its channel to keep in touch with its programmes. The vendor has a channel base of 12,000 salespeople across the UK.

“There is no doubt that this year’s unpredictable events have driven a need to be more connected, collaborate seamlessly and empower our people, wherever they are,” said Walsh. “By launching this programme, we acknowledge that mobility and on-demand learning have become more vital than ever before.

“With Samsung One, we bring a series of excellent support tools together to enable our partners and their customers to deliver consistent and accelerated growth. This represents our commitment to enhance our partners’ mobility strategy in business through education, motivation, communication and incentivisation.”

Walsh said Samsung expected the programme to change the way it worked with the channel, adding: “We strongly believe it will change the way we work with our partners and look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

The programme kicks off now, with partners being encouraged to go through the registration and validation processes to get into their tiers.