Big Blue revolution spurs dealer sales
An anticipated doubling of sales through the UK channel means IBM?s switch away from direct sales looks set to pay off
IBM UK will more than double its third-party business this year and will start moving mainframe sales through its new unitary business partner channel, opening up lucrative opportunities for its largest resellers.
Sources within the company said it is expecting to see over $1.3 billion of business going through its UK channel in 1996/97 ? a 117 per cent increase compared with UK channel sales of $600 million for the previous year. IBM PC Company and Lotus Notes sales are included in the figures.
?It?s dramatic growth, coming from switching sales from the direct teams to the channel, and from our organic growth,? said a source in the company. ?Lou Gerstner says that by 2000 he wants 60 per cent of worldwide revenues coming from the channel. That?s what we?re aiming at.?
The company kicked off 1997 by unveiling new support and services schemes for its increasingly unified business partner channel at a briefing in Bedfont a fortnight ago. It gave details of a series of partner-branded initiatives: an agony aunt hotline, a Lotus Notes-based information network, direct links from IBM?s Web site and a partner enhancement process that will give easier access to the company?s financial services.
?The new arrangements make it easier for business partners to sell a wider range of our products. The procedures are much simpler,? said Steve Voller, IBM UK channels manager.
The company?s revolutionary restructuring within its channels ? being rolled out as resellers? annual contracts come up for renewal ? has opened the way for new ?evergreen? contracts that jettison the annual renewal procedures. Business partners are also allowed to aggregate co-operative marketing funds across its product range, and a revamped set of Ts&Cs make it easier to take on a wider range of Big Blue offerings.
?The new IBM is making it lot easier for resellers to become business partners, and for existing business partners to sell more of our range,? said another company source. ?It was difficult to get on board if you weren?t well established in the past, and it was difficult to move from selling PCs to selling RS/6000s or AS/400s. We?re sweeping that all away.?