BMC increases focus on channel partners

Houston-based software maker BMC (NYSE: BMC) is focusing Latin American investments on a training program to bring its regional distributors in line with its business service model, Latin America channel manager Andrea Medrano told BNamericas. The company has 13 distributors in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and the aim of the BSM model is to have them working more as problem solvers rather than simply selling the products, she said. The company has 189 clients in Latin America, excluding Brazil and Mexico. Training is being carried out by SSA Sistemas in Panama and Medrano expects all distributors to be trained by the end of the fiscal year, March 31, 2005. About 40% of the distributors have achieved BSM certification so far, she added. BMC has been encouraging clients to sign up for maintenance services along with their software user licenses, and about 20% of licenses now include professional services. The company exceeded its sales goals in the first quarter by more than 100%, Medrano said, giving no further indication of business growth for the rest of the year.