Channel Partner
A channel partner is a company or individual that sells, implements, or promotes another company's products as part of an indirect sales strategy. Channel partners include resellers, distributors, managed service providers, and system integrators.
A channel partner is a third-party organization or individual that helps bring a vendor's products or services to market through indirect sales. Rather than the vendor selling directly to every end customer, channel partners extend the vendor's reach by leveraging their own customer relationships, regional expertise, and industry knowledge.
Common types of channel partners include value-added resellers (VARs), distributors, managed service providers (MSPs), system integrators (SIs), and independent software vendors (ISVs). Each type offers different capabilities: VARs bundle products with complementary services, distributors handle logistics at scale, and MSPs manage ongoing operations for customers.
Effective channel partner programs provide partners with training, co-marketing funds, deal protection, technical support, and competitive margins. The vendor-partner relationship is symbiotic: the vendor gains market coverage, and the partner earns revenue without building a product.
PartnerPulse supports the full channel partner lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding through enablement, deal registration, commission tracking, and performance analytics, all within a branded partner portal.
Manage channel partners with PartnerPulse
PartnerPulse provides everything you need to build, manage, and scale your partner program.
Manage channel partners with PartnerPulseRelated Terms
Channel Sales
Channel sales is an indirect go-to-market strategy where a company sells products through third-party partners rather than exclusively through its own sales team. This approach accelerates market coverage without proportionally increasing headcount.
Reseller
A reseller purchases or licenses a vendor's product and sells it to end customers, often bundling it with additional services. Resellers take on sales, billing, and sometimes support responsibilities in exchange for a margin on the sale.
Value-Added Reseller (VAR)
A VAR is a channel partner that enhances a vendor's product with additional services, such as customization, implementation, or training, before selling the combined solution to end customers.
Managed Service Provider (MSP)
An MSP is a company that remotely manages a customer's IT infrastructure and end-user systems, typically on a subscription basis. MSPs are important channel partners for SaaS vendors serving the SMB market.
Distribution Partner
A distribution partner is an intermediary that purchases products from a vendor and resells them to end customers or other resellers. Distributors handle logistics, fulfillment, and sometimes marketing across regions or verticals.