VMware has three reseller partner levels: Professional, Enterprise and Premier. These levels increase in both the commitment expected from the reseller and benefits offered by VMware.
The Professional level is the entry-level reseller partnership offered by VMware. That level is free and offers partners the ability to resell VMware products, access to not-for-resale versions of some VMware products, and access to SMB-focused tools and more. If you take the free course to become an accredited VMware Sales Professional (VSP), you can have not-for-resale access to VI3 Standard and Enterprise editions.
The Enterprise level is the highest level of partnership that a reseller can sign up for. The Enterprise level is meant for those resellers who wish to design and deploy virtualization solutions in complex environments. The annual cost for Enterprise partners is $1,000 for developed countries and $500 for developing countries. However, Enterprise partners gain access to not-for-resale versions of the entire VMware product line, access to VMware support incidents, dedicated sales account managers, the opportunity to offer customers volume discounts on VMware products and more. To qualify for Enterprise partnership, the reseller must have two VSPs and two VMware Certified Professionals (VCPs) for developed countries. The reseller must have one VSP and one VCP for developing countries.
The Premier partner level is the highest offered by VMware, and resellers can't sign up for this one -- they need to be invited to join by VMware. VMware chooses these resellers based on their level of commitment to selling VMware products, as well as the reseller's sales figures. Becoming a VMware Premier partner is a good way for a VAR to stand apart from the pack. This Premier partner level also shows the reseller's customers that the reseller is dedicated to providing high-quality VMware solutions. While VMware does not list requirements or what level of benefits the Premier partner level offers, you can find out more information by sending an email to vipnetwork@vmware.com or contacting a regional sales manager.
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