IBM gives partners the run of the mid-market

Big Blue unveils package of initiatives designed to put resellers at the core of its strategy for the 100 to 1,000-seat space

Davey: this is us executing on our Partner Charter with real vigour

IBM claims to have made good on its pledge to make partners the primary route to smaller customers after unveiling a package of mid-market-specific channel initiatives.

As well as ploughing more cash into co-marketing and coverage resources, Big Blue is launching a range of solution bundles tailored to the 100-1,000-seat space.

The vendor is re-deploying some of its internal mid-market-focused staff to work with partners, while all lead-generation work in the sector will now be carried out by partners.

Jacqui Davey, vice president of business partners for IBM UK and Ireland, stressed that IBM had committed to making its 1,500 UK resellers its primary route to mid-market firms last March.

“This is us executing on that element of our Partner Charter with real vigour,” she told CRN.

“All mid-market opportunities will now be identified by Business Partners rather than internally through our telecoverage organisation [IBM.com]. The feedback was that it was a bit messy and this should enable them to close more deals more quickly.”

IBM said it is funnelling more resources into marketing agency OnChannels, which began working with mid-market partners on a pilot basis in October. Partner activities will be co-ordinated by a new ‘mid-market marketing hub’, while Big Blue is also building a new team of territory-based partner representatives.

Meanwhile, between eight and 10 ‘mid-market solution blocks’ are set to launch over the course of 2010. The first - a continuous data protection services bundle comprising server, storage, software, financing and services - is already live. A business analytics solution block is due to launch this quarter.

Shamus Kelly, chief executive of IBM partner Portal Partnership, said: “It is a fairly bold move for IBM to move some of its internal resources out of the midmarket and in effect commit to channel partners such as us."