For Phoenix, a leader in the global Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) software market, the expansion of this program helps to meet growing worldwide customer demand for "instant on" enabling software in a plethora of devices, from branded or specialized "White Box" PCs to new portable devices such as ruggedized notebooks in police cars to inventory devices for car rental companies. Under the program, the company empowers qualified local engineering service companies to sell customers a complete end-to-end solution based on Phoenix core software code.
"We welcome Eltan and BeDeHa into our FirstAlliance Developer program and see this expansion as a win-win for our customers in Europe as well as our new partners there," said David L. Gibbs, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Sales and Support Division, Phoenix Technologies. "Our growing set of specialty customers get engineering support that is focused on their particular needs, resulting in faster time to market and lower development risks. At the same time, our new FirstAlliance partners can better penetrate the fragmented embedded systems market and offer customization around chip sets, processors, motherboards, and embedded devices."
The FirstAlliance Developer Partner Program is targeted toward creating a channel to better service smaller OEMs and a diversified set of embedded customers who manufacture less than 10,000 units per year. The program is set up on two levels: Authorized and Premier. There is an annual membership fee at each level that includes training and engineering certification on Phoenix BIOS technology. Participants in the Authorized program are aligned with appropriate customers to fit their specialty and geography. Authorized partners provide 'non-recurring engineering' services to customize Phoenix software code to meet their customers' particular requirements. All revenue generated through the engineering projects goes to the member partner.
Premier partners are likewise mapped to customers according to their specialty and geography. At this level, in addition to providing the necessary engineering services, Premier partners are also authorized to resell Phoenix's line of BIOS products. These partners benefit from all of the engineering service revenue as well as from a percentage of the BIOS product sales.
BeDeHa, based in Germany, and Eltan, based in the Netherlands, are new Premier-level partners and join an ever-expanding list of worldwide FirstAlliance partners.
"We are proud to join the Phoenix FirstAlliance Program as a Premium European partner," said Wulfhard Schneider, CEO and GM of BeDeHa GmbH, a Germany based Design and Distribution Center. "Phoenix products in combination with our services will allow us to provide customers first-quality solutions, helping them meet their 'time to market' requirements. Together with Phoenix and their new products aimed at existing and future markets, we see tremendous value for our customers."
"We are excited about being a member of the new Phoenix FirstAlliance Program and the benefits it can bring to existing and new customers," said Gerard Duynisveld, President of Eltan B.V. "Through this program, customers, especially in the industrial and embedded market, are now enabled to have access to high quality Phoenix products and Phoenix BIOS Code adaptations. We are focused on providing all engineering services for x86 technology and this new partnership with Phoenix makes commercial usage of the technology easier."
About BeDeHa GmbH
BeDeHa GmbH http://www.bedeha.de/ is an innovative high-tech company, providing its European customers Design Center Solutions for the embedded and IA market. Being specialized in adopting iAPX86 based Microcontroller architectures for the industrial and Internet appliance segments, BeDeHa offers cost sensitive solutions for cost sensitive markets. Established in 1986 at the Technical University of Berlin, the company founders gained their experience at the Institute of Communication and OS Systems Science. Inspired by its roots, BeDeHa is prepared to service its customers by taking technological leadership.
About Eltan
Eltan http://www.eltan.com/ is experienced in PC and Communication Technology, hardware design, BIOS, drivers, operating systems, and in bringing products to market. Since its inception, Eltan has been an independent engineering company for Phoenix BIOS implementation. Eltan has an impressive list of satisfied customers across Europe and the Middle East and the technical experience and short communication channels to establish long-term relations with satisfied customers.
