Symantec Launches Extended Terms Financing Program

In an effort to help cost-conscious businesses, security giant Symantec teams with GE Capital to offer qualified partners free 60-day extended payment terms for select Symantec products.

Security, storage and systems management solutions company Symantec announced the Symantec Extended Terms Financing Program, offering qualified Symantec registered and silver partners free 60-day extended payment terms for select Symantec products provided by GE Capital, Commercial Distribution Finance. The program was designed to provide eligible partners with increased cash flow and payment flexibility by allowing them to defer payment on selected Symantec products.

The company teamed with GE Capital to provide a financing program to Symantec registered and silver partners who source Symantec products through North American distributors Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Synnex and Douglas Stewart.

The program is available now through Jan. 30, 2010, the company said. To be eligible for the program, registered and silver-level Symantec partners must have successfully achieved Symantec SMB Specialization status. Symantec's SMB Specialization Program is designed to recognize proven partner expertise in providing solutions to small to medium-sized businesses and provide assistance to grow business and drive revenue.

Randy Cochran, vice president of North American channel sales for Symantec, said the company is committed to offering its partners superior value, market differentiation and sustainable revenue opportunities through innovative services. "We are focused on rewarding the investments our partners make in Symantec," he said. "The Symantec Extended Terms Program and Survive and Thrive Series will enable our partners to speed up profitability today and expand as the economy strengthens."

The Survive and Thrive Business Management Series is an education program that provides Symantec partners with guidance on business challenges. The program was designed to help partners manage anticipated growth as the economy changes and identify new business opportunities in the near future, according to Symantec's Website.

Included in the Survive and Thrive Series are five Webcasts and 12 learning modules intended to help partners maximize cash flow, source and invest capital more efficiently, identify new business opportunities, and assess economics of client acquisitions and retention. The 24-week seminar series includes live Webcast sessions and on-demand content and is available to all Symantec partners at no cost.

Tom Grathwohl, managing director of GE Capital's commercial distribution finance division, said Symantec's programs will offer increased purchasing power and extended repayment terms, enabling partners to grow their business while minding their budget and freeing up capital. "We are pleased to be working with Symantec to offer these extended terms and finance programs for their resellers."