Data protection vendor BakBone Software of San Diego, Calif., has improved its partner program to add more benefits to each level of the program.

New benefits to the program, called Channel Advantage, include Web-based sales certification training courses and pre-qualified end users leads. The goal, according to BakBone vice president Scott Petersen, is to help partners receive competitive discounts more quickly.

The revamped Channel Advantage program also includes an upgraded Web portal that provides access to technical help, marketing materials, details on promotions and discounts, and Web-based certification and sales training.

In conjunction with its enhanced partner program, BakBone also announced its new Partner Advisory Council, comprised of nine channel partners from across the United States. The goal of the council is to provide input into BakBone's product roadmap, technology development and strategy.

Get more information here.

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Sun Microsystems Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., has introduced a new partner program designed to give ISVs (independent software vendors) better access to resources they need to develop solutions based on Sun's grid computing technologies. The program, called the Sun Grid Readiness Offer, is part of Sun's Partner Advantage Program.

Sun also introduced a program aimed at providing developers with a framework and community they can use to test solutions on the Sun Grid platform. The Sun Grid Developer Community also provides a forum for developers to discuss, collaborate and exchange source code and ideas about utility computing.

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Exinda Networks, a Seattle, Wash.-based network management and monitoring tools company, has launched a global partner program that provides resellers and VARs with access to demonstration equipment, technical and sales training, pre-sales resources and market development support.

Partners achieve Authorized Partner status by undergoing technical and sales training and purchasing not-for-resale equipment, while Premium Partner status is attained by achieving pre-determined business objectives.

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Emulex Corp. of Costa Mesa, Calif., plans to start shipping its 4GB per second HBAs (host bus adapters) to its worldwide channel distribution partners, including ACAL, Bell Microproducts, InfoX, Tech Data and Tokyo Electron Ltd.

The agreement includes the entire line of HBAs, including the LP11000 and Lpe11000.

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Xilinx Corp., a programmable logic supplier in San Jose, Calif., has expanded its North American partnership agreement with Nu Horizons Electronics Corp. of Melville, N.Y., to include distribution rights in Asia Pacific, including China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India.

The agreement, which is effective immediately, extends to the company's entire line of FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays), CPLDs (complex programmable logic devices), development software and intellectual property cores.

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UK-based Fibre Technologies will distribute SAN (storage area network) connectivity products from PacketLight Products of Kfar-Saba, Israel throughout the UK.

Under the terms of the agreement, Fibre Technologies will distribute all of PacketLight products, including the PL-10 and PL-20, storage and GbE transport systems for metro access; and the PL-100, a multi-client storage and GbE transport system for metro access.

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Spare Backup Inc. of Palm Desert, Calif., has begun shipping its entire line of PC backup and data migration solutions to its retail distribution partners, including CompUSA and Fry's Electronics.

In expanding through the retail channel, Spare Backup hopes to expand its customer base, according to Cery Perle, president of Newport International, Spare Backup's parent company.

Get more information here.