New ways to Partner: Self Service Digital Platforms
Diego Segre
Advisory Board Member, freelance consultant. Former IBM Managing Director, VP of Sales
Digital platforms, self-service and automation are at the heart of any Vendor's partner ecosystem strategy. For example, IBM provides any technology company, from startups to well established IT Solution Providers that is not part of their ecosystem, an open door with a red carpet to join the IBM ecosystem with no efforts, and start leveraging the partnership right away. And also, encourage existing Partners to have a fastest, simpler way to access the resources and offerings they need in the ways that suit them most. The value of partnering with any vendor isn’t just in the portfolio; it’s in the way they partner – ensuring that partners realise value from our relationship quickly and according to their preferred ways of working.
The IBM Partners Digital Platform sets a new benchmark for how ISVs and CSPs can engage with and become fully-fledged business partners, with comprehensive access to the code patterns, learning, enablement and developer support they need to rapidly adopt and embed IBM Cloud technologies.
Thanks to this platform, Partners can combine IBM technology with the global sales capabilities to enable partners to effectively scale their business with IBM and their ecosystem, learning from the world’s best and brightest technology players how to engage with clients, grow more profitably and extend their global reach.
With a robust digital platform, Partners get value right from the start:
- Startups gain access to a community of high-growth companies as well as Vendor’s own network of resources.
- Technical experts develop and deploy data, AI, Cloud and Blockchain-based technologies.
- Business leaders showcase their solution on the Vendor Marketplace and gain exposure to a worldwide audience.
The IBM program, as a good example, comes in three flavors, designed to support the specific requirements of each of these audiences with access to free technology, developer tools, educational resources and technical support, to build and deploy cloud, mobile, analytics, artificial intelligence and other next-generation projects:
The self-service way to integrate IBM Watson and Cloud Platform into the partner's full stack. Offers include free 1-year trials for Cloud Object Storage, Watson Assistant or Cloud Container Service, or a 6-month trial for Blockchain - all enabled t hrough monthly application of free credits to use in our Cloud catalogue.
The self-service way to sell with IBM, on our digital Marketplace, once an ISV is ready to take their embedded solution to market. Offers include $2K/month in migration credits for 6 months.
Access services like AI, blockchain and data science to build leading-edge solutions at scale. Offers include up to $120K in IBM Cloud credits to access services like AI, blockchain and data science to build leading-edge solutions at scale.
By necessity, the IBM Partners portal has a broad remit and because they realise that different ISVs have specific requirements, the pages are fully supported by experts ready to ensure partners get the most out of engagement with IBM. Members gain instant access to IBM’s tools and services and can start building them into their own solutions with guided code patterns and learning paths. Where they go from there is entirely up to them, but partners can be certain of the support of IBM and the guarantee of excellence that working with the world’s leading technology provider brings.
Partnerships in the IT industry are being redefined. Self Service Digital Platforms are becoming a key asset that Vendors put at the disposal of their Ecosystem. IBM is leading the way with the IBM Partners Digital Platform . It is time for every Solution Provider in the market to start leveraging it.