Provider of observability and IT management software SolarWinds is making additional enhancements to its Reseller Partner Program, including improved benefits, enablement opportunities, and a more predictable discount framework.
The new enhancements provide a clearer, more consistent framework for how SolarWinds rewards investment and growth.
SolarWinds targets predictability and clearer rules of engagement
It provides predictable benefits across tiers, SolarWinds by giving partners the tools and resources required to grow pipeline, accelerate deals, and support customer success.
“This latest iteration of our Partner Program is further proof of our commitment to improve business outcomes for our partners’ customers,” said Barb Huelskamp, VP of Global Channel Sales and Alliances.
“We continue to listen to partners making specific changes aligned with their needs to accelerate growth and customer satisfaction. We understand that the more we empower our partners, the better equipped they are to solve the evolving and complex issues customers must navigate.”
Among the four categories that the enhancements fall into are:
- Benefits: Partners will have access to move tier-based benefits based on explicit criteria. Among these are updated and simplified incentives, marketing resources and support, and a new long-term rewards center to drive continued investment.
- Enablement: It will provide additional monthly webinars and a newsletter to support partner enablement, as well as access to new specializations, empowering partners in specific disciplines and solving evolving, complex customer issues.
- Partner Experience: The Partner Portal will feature brand-new resources and functionality, including an enhanced NFR process, role-based journeys and onboarding guidance, and enhanced content that supports multiple stages of the sales process.
- Discounting: SolarWinds’ program is also moving to established tier-based discounts, providing a more consistent framework helping sales and channel teams align more predictably on program execution.
Tiering requirements set for one year from now
SolarWinds will be launching an extensive series of enablement resources and dedicated office hours to ensure a smooth transition and help prepare the ecosystem for the official program go-live.
Explicit tier requirements are being introduced, and partners will have a full year to align with the updated standards, supported by a new Fast Track Program designed to help high-growth partners accelerate their progress toward higher tiers through temporary, elevated positioning.
“By working closely with SolarWinds, we have successfully removed operational friction, expanded market reach, and enabled partners to use AI-powered observability to proactively identify issues and optimize performance,” said Carlos Rodrigues, President, North America at Climb.
“Their newly enhanced partner program accelerates this collaborative momentum by providing the predictable framework and strengthened enablement our partners need to scale outcomes and drive growth.”
Q&A with Barb Huelskamp
To dive deeper into SolarWinds’ recent updates, Channel Insider conducted a Q&A with Huelskamp.
What specific feedback from resellers prompted these changes, and how does the new program address longstanding partner pain points?
This refresh is a direct response to what our partners have been telling us. Over the past year, the themes that kept surfacing were the need for greater clarity, stronger enablement, new tools, and more predictable benefits as they scale their businesses. We saw a clear opportunity to act on that feedback in a way that reflects how much we value their trust.
The refreshed program combines those inputs with our vision for the channel by leading with transparency and predictability. We’re not running parallel paths, talking to the customer and then maybe looping in a partner. We’re going in together. Partner surveys over the past year have shown that co-selling has never been better at SolarWinds than it is right now. That didn’t happen by change, that’s intentional investment.
The updated program introduces explicit tier requirements and tier-based discounts. How will this new structure help partners better forecast revenue, profitability, and growth opportunities compared with the previous structure?
This is one of the things I’m most excited about. We’ve introduced structured tier-based discounting so partners have a consistent pricing framework. What that means in practice is that they now know exactly what discount they’re earning at each tier, and they know what they need to do to move to the next level. That predictability shapes how partners engage customers long before pricing is even discussed.
Previously, that kind of framework wasn’t as clearly defined. Now, partners can model their margins, forecast growth, and go into a customer conversation with confidence. We’re also adding new sales incentives based on channel-initiated growth that trigger higher discounts as they scale. On top of that, we’re launching a rewards center in North America where partner sellers can accrue points toward cash and prizes.
Enablement appears to be a major focus, with new specializations, monthly webinars, newsletters, and office hours. Which areas of expertise are SolarWinds prioritizing, and how do these investments help partners capitalize on emerging opportunities such as AI-powered observability?
Enablement is at the heart of everything we’re doing. Last year, we introduced role-based certifications and training. Now we’re expanding that curriculum with new content, additional certifications, and new partner specializations that recognize real experience, real investment, and subject-matter expertise. That could mean badging for service capabilities, vertical focuses, or specific product strengths and helping them differentiate in the market while making it easier to match those to customer needs.
When I think about where we’re going with SolarWinds One and agentic AI, it’s a growth lever for our partners. It gives them something valuable to bring back to existing customers and a differentiated story to tell with net-new prospects. We’re helping our partners develop that narrative on how to help midmarket customers adopt practical AI-powered observability without abandoning them on the learning curve. That’s where our go-to-market team, our sales engineering team, and our product marketing team are fully aligned and engaged every day.
The upgrades include role-based journeys, onboarding guidance, and enhanced sales content. What improvements will partners notice first, and how do you expect these changes to reduce operational friction and accelerate deal cycles?
If I had to point to the things partners are going to feel immediately, I’d say four areas. First, tier-based discounting: they’ll know exactly what they’re earning.
Second, the partner portal is getting a real overhaul: streamlined deal registration, automated lead sharing, clearer onboarding and business planning tools, and simpler access to enablement and marketing materials.
Third, we’re expanding marketing support as partners reach higher tiers: proposal-based funding, co-brandable sales materials, and pre-built campaign strategies.
And fourth, we’ve given partners discovery decks, role-based discovery questions, and outcome-oriented sales content based on what their peers in the market are actually asking.
That last piece matters a lot. When a partner walks into a CIO conversation armed with the right questions for their vertical or role, they close faster. We’re not asking partners to figure that out on their own. We’re doing the heavy lifting on content so they can focus on the relationship and the outcome.
SolarWinds is giving partners a full year to meet the new tier requirements while also launching a Fast Track Program for high-growth partners. What types of partners are best positioned to take advantage of Fast Track, and what benefits can they expect from accelerated status advancement?
I love this question because Fast Track is really designed for partners who are already moving – they just need the right runway. We’re giving everyone a full year to meet the new tier requirements, because we want this transition to be fair and manageable. But for the partners who are already demonstrating high-growth behavior, Fast Track lets them accelerate their status advancement without waiting out the calendar.
The types of partners best positioned here are the ones investing in our platform, building out their technical bench, and actively co-selling with us. MSPs who are expanding into managed observability, resellers leaning into managed services, and solution providers building public sector practices. Those are the profiles that Fast Track was built for. What they get in return is faster access to higher-tier discounts, enhanced marketing support, and the kind of dedicated engagement from our team that helps move deals faster.
Looking ahead, what metrics will SolarWinds use to measure the success of these partner program enhancements, and what outcomes should partners and customers expect to see over the next 12-to-18 months?
For us, success is measured in partner-initiated growth, customer outcomes, and the health of co-sell relationships. Are they registering deals? Are those deals closing? Are customers expanding on the platform? Is partner satisfaction continuing to trend upward?
Over the next 12-to-18 months, what I want partners to see is a materially different experience. Less friction, more support, clearer return on their investment in SolarWinds. And what customers should expect is an ecosystem that’s better equipped to deliver outcomes, not just products. In a lot of cases, our partners are an extension of our organization. When we make them stronger, we make the customer experience stronger. That’s the commitment behind every piece of this refresh, and it’s one we’re fully committed to keeping.