I want to know about the "Market Development Funds" for companies like
(hp, SUN, IBM, Oracle, Dell) under their "PARTNER PROGRAMS"

I would like to know the folling :

* Eligibility criterion for these programs

* Products technologies for which the Funds are available

* How much initial funding is available 

* How much incremental funding ( Percentage ) and what is the basis
for deciding the extent of funding

* Finally how much annual fund provision do the above companies have
under this head.

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 14 Dec 2002 17:01 PST

ND1 --

Programs like these are very different company to company and even
from one product line to another.  Information on these programs is
closely guarded.  You'll be lucky to get an outline description of
even one of them from the Internet; details will be even harder to
chase down.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Clarification of Question by nd1-ga on 16 Dec 2002 12:38 PST

any suggestion on where I can get some reports or information on these. Let me know

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 16 Dec 2002 16:44 PST

ND1 -- 
 
You'll find some information (usually program qualification documents)
online with Google search strategies like the following:
MDF + partners + computers 
 
To find out what is being done specifically in a single program, it
will probably require interviewing either a partner company or someone
who's cooperative at one of the vendors.  Even the analysts (IDC,
Gartner Group, Aberdeen Group, etc.) tend not to track these programs
very closely because of the sensitive nature for companies -- and
because the programs change frequently.
 
Occasionally you'll get a glimpse into a program because a vendor
releases a high-impact program but I haven't seen one published in
several years.  Usually it will be a channel-related publication such
as computer Reseller News or an industry newsletter that will do so. 
Relatively few computer-industry newsletters are freely available
online.
 
Best regards, 
 
Omnivorous-GA