Since announcing Oracle PartnerNetwork Specialized (OPN Specialized) in October 2009, Oracle has been focused on building a program that first enables solution providers to become highly skilled Oracle partners who deliver value to customers and that then recognizes and rewards their achievements in a meaningful way. Today the company unveiled new benefits reserved for partners who have achieved one or more of the over 50 specializations currently available. The benefits demonstrate Oracle's commitment to showcase these valued partners to three key audiences: customers, other partners, and Oracle employees.

With today's launch of www.oracle.com/specialized Oracle has taken what IDC believes is a first of its kind approach to putting top partners front and center with customers and prospects. While most vendors offer a business partner finder tool on their website none has gone as far as Oracle with the creation of this new site dedicated to the promotion of Specialized Partners. The tag lines - "Recognized by Oracle, Preferred by Customers" and "Specialized. Recognized. Preferred." gets right to the point - these are the solution providers with which customers should choose to engage. The contents of the page offer multiple proof points to justify the marketing phrases.

One of the benefits Oracle offers its Specialized Partners is video creation and placement. While Oracle works with partners to create informal or "guerilla" videos which often are placed on YouTube to generate awareness and buzz, the company also produces professional videos for its partners. The greatest value the partner receives from this benefit isn't the non-trivial production costs that Oracle covers but instead the prominent exposure Oracle gives the finished product. Partner videos are featured on www.oracle.com/specialized, used as part of monthly OPN Specialized Partners monthly webcasts, placed on a customer facing website, the Oracle Media Network, which includes several partner sites such as PartnerCast. A solution provider gains a great deal of credibility when they can send a prospect to an Oracle website where they are featured. Read the full article here.