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Marketing Advisory Council fuses IBM and partner efforts
By Sarah Kimmel
Monday, October 06, 2003
In an effort to more closely align
its marketing initiatives with its business partners, IBM has created
the Business Partner Marketing Advisory Council.
“Our goal is to address specific
issues pertaining to IBM’s marketing projects and strategies,
as well as to solicit feedback from partners and drive forward thinking.
As IBM embarks on new endeavors, we can see how these projects will
play into partners’ marketing and ensure that we are delivering
the proper message,” says Alex Gogh, director of channel marketing
for Americas, IBM, Jericho, NY.
The 15 to 20 members of the Business
Partner Marketing Advisory Council are hand-picked marketing executives
from first- and second-tier IBM business partners. The roster includes
companies such as Avnet, Key Information Systems, Optimus Solutions,
SCS Inc., Sirius, and Support Net.
“The Council members are
representatives from a variety of types of business partners —
from small to large, from traditional solution providers to distributors.
We tried to get a good mix so that we can build a strong microcosm
of the business partner community,” says Gogh.
Launched this past June, the Council
plans to meet quarterly. Its top priorities include efforts to align
marketing initiatives and messages, test projects, and get feedback
from partners on IBM strategies. Council discussions cover the full
gamut of marketing disciplines, from specific programs — such
as channel co-marketing — to advertising, as well as demand
generation, market intelligence, and distribution channel management.
“We make IBM wiser as to
what the market needs. We have direct access to top-level IBM executives
and the ability to sit down and discuss their strategies and goals.
The better the relationship between IBM and its business partners,
the better we all can address the needs of our customers. This will
be the key to our success,” says Sandy Potter, Council member
and vice president of business development for Optimus Solutions.
While IBM has maintained open lines
of communication with its business partners in the past, there are
a few recent drivers for the birth of a formal Council, including
the e-business On-Demand initiative and the need for a platform
for the mutual sharing of information.
“We felt it was important
to have business partners in place to help develop the e-Business
On-Demand strategy, and we recognize that the business partner community
is a critical part of this initiative. As an extension of IBM, they
will drive both the project and brand image,” says Gogh.
Council’s reach extends to iSeries
Where does the iSeries stand in
the Council’s plans? With iSeries vendors represented through
several members of the committee, and the iSeries playing a key
role in the e-Business On-Demand initiative, the Advisory Council’s
efforts will also have a voice in iSeries marketing — both
by IBM and its partners.
“The iSeries is tightly aligned
with the corporate strategy for e-Business On-Demand. Case in point
is the Capacity On-Demand offerings for iSeries, WebSphere, and
Linux in an iSeries partition. The iSeries also depends tremendously
on the channel community. This committee will be mutually beneficial
to the iSeries and the corporation as a whole,” says Gogh.
What has IBM learned from the Council
so far? “One thing our partners are telling us is that consistency
in both our (IBM and business partner) programs and our marketing
approaches are critical,” says Gogh.
The Council has also received feedback
from business partners that are eager to join forces and participate.
For now, the Council will stick to its original 20 or so members,
but it is not closed off to the idea of future growth.
“We currently have a full
slate of partners that we feel represent the community. However,
I will leave it up to the Council to decide whether more people
are added over time. Adding more people may exceed critical mass,”
says Gogh.
Big Blue offers virtual hosting
services for iSeries
IBM has announced virtual
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An extension of the Virtual
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The virtual iSeries systems, hosted at the IBM Service Delivery
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resources as needed.
Through Logical Partitioning,
customers get a section of the virtual server. Customers’
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those of other IBM customers. Shops retain control of these
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are announced.
Customers are charged a one-time
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power and capacity that is used.
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