ISVs that want a bit of help getting apps seeded on Salesforce’s AppExchange can breath a sigh of relief, as the cloud giant is bringing its popular Accelerate partner assistance programme to Europe.
Leon Mangan, vice president of channel and alliances at Salesforce EMEA, confirmed the news at the company’s World Tour London event this week.
“The Accelerate programme is there to do exactly what it says on the tin. That is to drive and accelerate partners who want to develop ISV solutions on the AppExchange,” he said.
“It’s a programme of getting people through our AppExchange process. It’s a mentoring and coaching model - we’ll do webinars, lunch and learn, workshops and give each of the partners we take on a mentor.”
Much like in the US – where the programme has existed since early 2016 – Salesforce will take applications in batches, focusing on high-growth sectors, the first of which will be those developing apps for fintech and insurance.
“In later phases, we’ll be doing things in areas like life science or retail,” Mangan added.
“Fintech and insurance is our biggest addressable market opportunity. I don’t know in what sequence [other areas] will follow, but we will be looking at [the] next phase based on our addressable opportunities and where the demand is.”
Interested partners will be able to submit their applications for the programme at the end of June, but competition is likely to be tough as there are just 20 places available. The programme will then kick off in September, supported by the entire Salesforce business, with individuals from different departments volunteering their time to act as mentors.
To whittle down the number of contenders, Mangan said Salesforce will be looking for ecosystem partners that share the same core values as the firm, in particular, the 1:1:1 model of giving back.
“One thing I really wanted to make clear to partners is we will not take on a partner in that programme unless they are pledging 1% [of their income to charity]. We’re not going to be doing any stringent checks and balances on that as trust is our number one value, but more and more of our partners are following the same 1:1:1 model as us,” he added.
“We will have a stringent process – it’s not only that they’re intending to build on the platform, but also what their vision and values are around what they’re trying to and deliver and ensuring it is fit for purpose; that it creates value in that market.”
