Pentaho Customer Reference Program - FAQ

What is the Customer Reference Program?

Help us help you. One factor that contributes to Pentaho's success is customers like you sharing your experience with Pentaho technology and services. The goal of the Pentaho Customer Reference Program is to build strategic relationships with our customers while showcasing their business analytics successes with Pentaho. It is designed to match customers with public and private opportunities to discuss their experience with Pentaho products and services.

Why Participate in the Program?

Customers have many reasons to participate in the Pentaho Customer Reference Program. This includes showcasing the joint success of Pentaho and their projects, strengthening their company marketing and branding activities or a desire for greater thought leadership within the Business Intelligence and open source communities.

The program enables customers to promote the use of business analytics and open source technologies actively and increase their recognition in both the open source and business analytics communities through thought leadership.

Reference customers receive a number of opportunities as a result of participating in the program, including advisory panel participation, private receptions with Pentaho executives, and participation in technical roadmap sessions and technology betas.

Customers have the opportunity to share their open source implementations and technical successes with other companies, many whom are eager to learn about open source integration. Reference customers may also be put in touch with customers from whom they can learn more and may directly dialog with Pentaho product management.

The Pentaho Ecosystem is a large, global network of Pentaho partners and customers, working together in symbiotic relations. The Pentaho Customer Reference Program enables customers to strengthen their relationships within this ecosystem, share best practices, and leverage Pentaho and Pentaho partners.

Participating in public opportunities with the Pentaho Customer Reference Program ensures increased market exposure for your company. When appropriate, we also provide Reference Partners with leads from lead generation events in which they participate.

What Can I Expect?

Being a Pentaho Reference Partner is simple. Here is what you can expect from us when you take part in the program:

All members of the Customer Reference Program will go through a 30-minute introductory call to gather basic details about your use of Pentaho products and services and discuss interest in participation. This can also be done through filling out an online form.

When opportunities surface that you have expressed interest in participating, a Customer Reference Manager will email you. If you are interested, we'll consider your availability and priorities in scheduling interviews and speaking engagements. A Pentaho Customer Reference Manager works with you through every step of the process and provides a single point of contact.

We'll prepare the content, manage design, and distribute the final product via print, web, sales and business development presentations.

We'll always send content to you for your internal review and approval before publishing.

What Are My Options?

The Pentaho Customer Reference Program provides a variety of ways for customers to participate both publicly and privately:

Crafted by a professional writer, case studies are two page stories (approximately 1,000 words in length) detailing your successful Pentaho deployment. Case studies are posted on the Pentaho corporate website and blog.

Pentaho nominates customers for award programs, including awards programs organized by a number of technology associations and publications such as the BeyeNETWORK Vision Award, Gartner BI Excellence Award and Red Hat Innovation Awards.

Organizations are often curious about open source and ask to speak directly to someone who has successfully deployed Pentaho's solution. In these peer-to-peer conversations, you will speak directly with potential Pentaho customers or with existing customers from whom you'd like to learn more. These calls ensure an unbiased opinion and are a private way to share your Pentaho Reference.

Join a Pentaho customer advisory board or participate in a customer forum or roundtable to gain exposure as a thought leader in your industry.

Participate in a Pentaho webinar or live event to share your story with prospective customers. When appropriate, Pentaho can supply you with a list of leads from the event.

Pentaho works with Reference customers to develop press releases and can arrange interviews with the press and industry analysts to showcase your solutions.

Tell your story without leaving your office - Pentaho can facilitate a video interview over Skype camera. Video testimonials are posted on the Pentaho corporate website and blog.

Technical whitepapers - developed by Pentaho or third-parties like industry analysts - provide a technical perspective on your solution deployment.

Participation in the Gartner Magic Quadrant or Forrester Wave reports require that analysts talk to a minimum of 30 customers. Help increase awareness for Pentaho by sharing your story on a 30-minute phone call. This is considered a private reference, as your company name will remain confidential. This is also a great opportunity to ask your own questions around business analytics while speaking with a leading analyst.

If you are involved in social media such as blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn you will be referred for our Influencer list where you can be the first to find out about Pentaho announcements.

Perfect for the customers who cannot discuss the details of their deployment publicly. Be part of our customer listing - your company name and logo on our website, corporate presentation and included in our quarterly momentum press release.

*Private opportunity.

How Do I Become a Member of the Pentaho Customer Reference Program?

If you are interested in joining the Customer Reference Program or learning more, contact a Pentaho Customer Reference Manager at communications@pentaho.com or complete this online form.

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