►Proposal◄ Affiliate & Partnership with AwareSoft

BenHayat

For years, Microsoft has been beating the "Developer, Developer, Developer" mantra to signify the importance of having developers for it's growth.

They have so many programs, like MVP, Insider, Affiliate, partners and so on. When they get so many developers to use their tool-sets, it automatically promotes the tool-set as the "standard" tools for developing apps and many companies respond to this very positively, by using tools that many developers use.
As it's by product, MSFT also promotes these developers (in above programs) to companies as it's partners, so companies can use or hire developers services. It's a win-win situation for both sides.

IT HAS WORKED greatly for years and has pushed MSFT to the top. Nothing wrong with that, except deep down, these aren't the greatest tools, even thought pushed by great marketing.

Past Saturday, I met a gentleman in the gym who had just sold his software company for $50M to a larger company. As I got more into conversation with him, he said once we started an affiliate & partnership program with our users, our growth and recognition went up in multiple times.

I'd like to strongly suggest that AwerSoft begins (even with a simple page on their website) a list of AwareIM developers who are willing to become affiliated and partnered with AwareSoft. This will help new prospects to feel confident that they can get developers who know AwareIM and secondly, gives credibility to AwarIM product that the product can produce real life results.
It also helps us, developers to be promoted as AwareIM developers that we can push the product and sell our services and AwareIM license to new customers. Again, another Win-Win for both sides.

For those who are official consultants, let's workout a system with AwareSoft that we can build this affiliate & partnership program.

Please offer constructive suggestions and I also would like to know what AwareSoft feels about this direction.
Thank you in advance!

Note: Here is my starting point. Please take a look at the bottom of the page.
http://www.microintelligence.com/services/

BenHayat

47 views and no comments?

Jaymer

BenHayat wrote
Past Saturday, I met a gentleman in the gym who had just sold his software company for $50M to a larger company. As I got more into conversation with him, he said once we started an affiliate & partnership program with our users, our growth and recognition went up in multiple times.

I once had a bad experience with a guy in a gym who was interested in a Partnership program... so I stopped reading after that !!!
😃

But seriously, sure, I'm up for having my name on a website, but whats that gonna get me?
Maybe only 10-20 of the regulars on here qualify... several I've talked to are not "independent" developers but work on a project for their company. So they don't really care about this.
Some people (and I'm not trying to put words in people's mouths... just saying) are knee deep in their existing grind with Aware and their current project. Bruce, Hein, kklossen, etc. are just trying to get their main app functioning perfectly - maybe they don't need marketing/partnering right now.
YOU may need some work, but it doesn't mean everyone else does.

For those who are official consultants, let's workout a system with AwareSoft that we can build this affiliate & partnership program.

Someone else may have better input here... but in the past, my experience with an "affil" program hasn't been "win-win". OK, I guess we're talking Magic here. It was a sales mechanism to push product out to partners with the main emphasis on showing sales to drive the stock price.
It went through many gyrations and affected many development shops. Product for sale, purchased and sitting on the shelf. Not even applicable in today's climate.

SO, whats with this program?
Does Aware need developers?
Or does it need end-users and companies to use AIM in-house?
What are their goals?
How do they make $.
Whats their idea [from the business side] of a 1,3,5-year plan?
Is it even at a critical mass where anyone [out there in the corporate world] even knows about it?
Why does Aware need to partner with us?
Doesn't that mean reduced pricing to us? It usually does to resellers/VARs/etc.
Do they want to give up $ on each license?
Cause what am I getting out of being an official "partner" (not that I have any issue, I'm just starting discussion) ppl would ask?
Leads from the website where my listing is? That can easily be bypassed by a bunch of us making an "association of Aware programmers" with our own listings (btw, I just registered AwareProgrammers.com).

Just my $.03
jaymer...

BenHayat

My main objective from this thread was to open up a channel where Awaresoft and it's customers become closer and united. From unity and not being self centered, many good and new things comes up, rather than only thinking, "What's for me?" type of mentality. Stepping outside of the box and seeing the forest than a single tree.

The story that the man told me, his point was, his company and product took off, when customers became part of the big picture and they all became united. It a mission to join to help each other and the company. (he wasn't selling me anything. He got $50M and living by the beach)

That was my proposal. It's a two way street. I opened up the idea, but it needs to get started by Awaresoft. But How will Awaresoft knows if people are interested? And that brings me to this thread to open up this dialog.

customaware

I would rather see a Certification system to start with....

At least two levels.....

Aware IM Certified Developer
Aware IM Certified System Architect
is a Pre-Qual for 2.

BenHayat

eagles9999 wrote
I would rather see a Certification system to start with....

At least two levels.....

Aware IM Certified Developer

Aware IM Certified System Architect

is a Pre-Qual for 2.

Mark, this is an EXCELLENT proposal. But for any certification program, companies also provide certification materials for students to go through before taking exams.
You have been a frontier in Aware Education. Would you be interested in working with Awaresoft and building the materials and exams? These are very time consuming but very well beneficial.

customaware

I would be happy to work on it once I learn Aware IM Ben. 😉

BenHayat

eagles9999 wrote
I would be happy to work on it once I learn Aware IM Ben. 😉

🙂 Then I guess, you're trying to say, "A blind leading a blind" :o

BenHayat

BenHayat wrote
eagles9999 wrote
I would be happy to work on it once I learn Aware IM Ben. 😉

🙂 Then I guess, you're trying to say, it would be like "A blind leading a blind" :o

BLOMASKY

Can I be the Certified Aware Photographer ???????

IMHO

With the # of "Awareians" running wild in the world, who are available for outside consulting, (i.e. not just working "for the man") It might look a tad anemic when there is only ONE in Mongolia (wait, I don't know that...) or only, what, 20-30 in the US of A. Since Aware is a TOOL company and not a SOLUTIONS company, I would be surprised to find many people who were interested who also wanted to hire a developer. (now, Aware University (AU), an offshoot of Magic University (MU)) might gain some traction. For those who want to learn and embrace the fastest development tool in the Universe, having a 1 week, intensive, hands on, sort of local training program... wait.. wait.. what can we call it.. mmm. mmm.. how about Zero to Hero?

But, what do I know???

I do know, its Friday and in 43 minutes it will "officially" be happy hour time...

hic.. .hic...

Bruce

BenHayat

I would like to name this initiative as "AwareNESS Partnership Program", where the goal is to build an Aware circle of partners, certified developers/consultants to be an extension of AwareSoft. This is my message to you all and the founders of AwareSoft.