by Paul Kunert
30 June 2008
Following two years of intense reseller
recruitment in the UK,
IBM is again turning its attention to independent software vendors (ISVs) in
the mid-market with the aim of building bridges between different partner
types.
In the first quarter IBM renamed its SME division
as general business, under a restructure that saw it aligning internal sales
teams around clients markets rather than technologies and introducing a raft of
incentives for partners in that space.
The ISV community often provides the glue to an
infrastructure solution and IBM already manages around 100 in terms of “face to
face coverage” Mike Bernard, IBM UK marketing director for general business
told Microscope.
“This year we want to recruit more ISVs, it’s
about creating a balanced eco system for partners,” he said, adding “we want to
drive links with software and hardware resellers.”
Currently IBM has Value Net community, an online
brokerage programme that makes a connection between partner types in different
geographies and technology sectors.
For larger resellers, integrators and ISVs, IBM
has Partner Net, a more exclusive invitation-only scheme open to 15 resellers,
it provides specific rebates and marketing funds to encourage collaboration
between partners.
The push for the SME market, predicted to grow by
up to five per cent this year, comes at a time when the corporate reseller
market is looking more sluggish than at any time in the last five years.
