Exploring Collaboration in Channel Ecosystems

Red Hat recognizes the need to embrace ecosystems to meet customers’ evolving technology needs; Stefanie Chiras says collaboration makes multi-partner channels work.

Collaboration has become a critical factor in the success of technology ecosystems. As customer demands evolve and become increasingly complex, no single company can address all their needs independently. This shift is driving the rise of technology ecosystems, where companies collaborate, combining their products and services to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions.

Red Hat, a leader in open-source platforms, has fully embraced this approach, positioning ecosystem collaboration as a central strategy to meet customer expectations and enhance its partner relationships. At the core of Red Hat’s ecosystem strategy is the understanding that solving customer problems typically requires multiple vendors working together.

Red Hat’s role within its ecosystem is to facilitate collaboration across different layers of the technology stack, from hardware and software providers to application developers. Its platforms ensure seamless integration and offer flexibility to customers.

Red Hat’s platform-centric model emphasizes the importance of providing customers with choice and flexibility. Companies can deploy Red Hat technologies across various environments, from on-premises infrastructure to public and private clouds. However, to deliver this flexibility, Red Hat must work closely with its ecosystem partners to ensure their technologies are interoperable and can deliver consistent outcomes, regardless of where the customer chooses to deploy them.

Red Hat introduced a new partner program in mid-2024 to formalize and enhance collaboration with partners. This program is designed around modularity and flexibility, allowing partners to engage with Red Hat in ways that best align with their business models. Whether partners focus on reselling Red Hat products, providing services that integrate with Red Hat’s platforms, or co-developing solutions, the program offers structured modules to support each engagement type. This modular approach allows partners to choose how they collaborate with Red Hat, ensuring their specific capabilities and business goals are supported.

One of the key innovations of the new partner program is its focus on enabling partners to grow their businesses by leveraging Red Hat’s technology. Each module outlines specific activities that partners must complete to receive benefits. As partners accumulate experience and demonstrate success in their engagements, they earn rewards that enhance their ability to participate in the broader ecosystem. This structure encourages collaboration and ensures that partners are recognized for their contributions, helping them align their capabilities with market opportunities.

The modular nature of Red Hat’s partner program ensures that it can evolve with the market. As new technologies emerge and customer needs shift, Red Hat can introduce additional modules to support new engagement models. This flexibility ensures that the program remains relevant and valuable, allowing Red Hat and its partners to adapt to changes in the IT landscape.

Ultimately, Red Hat’s focus on collaboration within its partner ecosystem drives better customer outcomes. By providing partners with flexible frameworks for engagement and a platform to showcase their successes, Red Hat strengthens its ecosystem and helps partners grow their businesses. This approach supports Red Hat’s strategic goals and ensures that its partners can effectively meet the challenges of a rapidly changing technology environment.

In this episode of the Changing Channels podcast, Stefanie Chiras, senior vice president of partner ecosystem success at Red Hat, joins host Larry Walsh to discuss the importance of collaboration in ecosystems — what’s become essential for delivering comprehensive solutions and driving sustainable success in the channel.