The strength of a vendor-partner relationship isn’t built in a single event, but over time, through trust, strategy, and real business outcomes. That’s exactly what Climb and SolarWinds have been doing for the past ten years, and in 2025, that partnership is only getting stronger.
I was delighted to attend SolarWinds’ Partner Summit in Marrakech. It has been a busy and industrious 12 months since we last gathered in Lisbon!
The overarching message from the event this year is Elevate Together. So, what does that mean for partners?
A Channel-First Approach That Delivers
SolarWinds is committed to growing their channel business, underpinned by a consistent channel-first mentality. At the summit, SolarWinds reinforced:
- Stronger Channel Incentives: Programs that directly reward partners for driving new business, with structured benefits for growth.
- Better Customer-Facing Resources: Improved sales materials and support to help partners position SolarWinds solutions more effectively.
- More Focus on Channel-Initiated Business: Giving partners the tools and backing to take the lead on deals.
For Climb, as a global distributor, this means we’re not just providing product access but also equipping partners with everything they need to sell, implement, and scale their SolarWinds business.
If you’re working with SolarWinds (or considering it), there are some standout incentives that make it easier to grow your revenue:
- Big 3 Acceleration Program: Rewards for partners driving incremental bookings, with a $10,000 bonus to the Big 3 Reseller with the highest CI revenue from net new customer accounts.
- Observability Rocket Booster: High-value incentives for Observability deals, whether SaaS or self-hosted.
- Database Rocket Booster: Strong earning potential on database solutions like SQL Sentry and DPA.
- Fast Track Program: A tailored roadmap to help partners accelerate through the SolarWinds Partner Program.
These are all structured opportunities for partners to increase margins, win new business, and expand within existing accounts—we hope you’ll make the most of them!
Partner Perspective: CDW UK’s Success with SolarWinds
Real success in the channel is defined by how partners can execute, differentiate, and grow their business.
I caught up with Francis Orioha, Software Sales Lead at CDW UK, whose team was recognised as SolarWinds’ Breakthrough Partner of the Year, to discuss their experience with SolarWinds, where the biggest opportunities lie, and how working with Climb has helped them scale faster and win bigger deals.
What Makes SolarWinds a Strong Play for Partners?
For CDW, one of the biggest opportunities right now is observability.
“With the observability market projected to reach $55 billion, there’s a huge whitespace opportunity for us.”
Beyond observability, CDW sees potential across the entire SolarWinds portfolio, including monitoring, database, and ITSM solutions. The ability to cross-sell and upsell between these pillars has made a significant different in revenue potential and allows CDW to “offer a more comprehensive solution to customers.”
“We can maximise revenue potential from our existing accounts while also opening doors to new customers.”
How Has Climb Helped CDW Succeed?
While having a strong vendor and great solutions is important, having the right distributor makes all the difference. Climb’s role goes far beyond just fulfilling orders. We actively help partners like CDW turn SolarWinds into a scalable and profitable business.
“Working closely with Climb will be essential to identifying and closing new deals. With their data and deal support, we can take a more targeted approach to winning business.”
Climb’s data-driven approach and strategic business planning identifies high-value opportunities:
“Climb has already shared a list of opportunities, and the next step is to work through them strategically. Proactively engaging with these leads will be critical to driving momentum into 2025.”
What’s Next for Partners?
Climb is actively working with partners to:
- Map out tailored business plans, helping you make the most of SolarWinds’ incentives.
- Identify cross-sell and upsell opportunities, ensuring you’re maximising value from your customer base.
- Support deals from start to post-sale growth.
With the enhanced SolarWinds Partner Portal now live, it’s even easier for partners to track opportunities, access resources, and manage deal progress in a seamless, data-driven way.
So, whether you’re already working with SolarWinds or looking to explore new opportunities, now is the time to act.
If you’d like to discuss how Climb can help you make the most of these programs and drive real revenue growth, please get in touch with me via LinkedIn or email at thomasl@climbcs.co.uk
