Enterprise management provider BMC Software Inc. yesterday announced the expansion of two of its partner programs in an effort to make itself a must-evaluate management tools provider for any application.
In the Houston-based companys Developer Connection Program, BMC has expanded beyond its Patrol application management family to allow partners and ISVs to extend the functions and customize BMCs Control-SA security management, Control-D business information management and Control-M scheduling products. Tool kits for customizing each are now available on the developer Web site.
At the same time, the program, which already boasts some 100 to 200 ISVs and about 7,500 individual developers, is being expanded with a new entry-level option. The option, less costly to the ISV, allows ISVs to easily sign up via the programs Web site and deliver new products to market without BMCs permission.
“The goal is to have more solutions in the marketplace. If we proliferate it so much, people will think of BMC as the answer–whether they buy from us or from our partners,” said Bill Ridlehuber, manager of developer and ISV programs in Houston.
The program is built around low-level agent technology and building-block components of BMCs management offerings that developers can use to create high-level management tools.
In its MarketZone program, BMC created a three-tier developer program that offers escalating benefits. The three tiers, “architected around sweet spots in the developer community,” include the Affiliate, Advanced and Premier level programs, Ridlehuber said.
“Affiliate appeals to small companies or large firms that dont need marketing benefits. The Advanced level, where most [ISVs] are today, offers programmatic benefits. With the Premier level, we do one-on-one joint marketing,” he said.
New partners that have joined the MarketZone program include Canon U.S.A. Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Lawson Software Inc.