Agilitas to resell IBM services to the channel

CEO Shaun Lynn tells CRN that the multi-vendor offering will be more affordable for partners than reselling services directly from vendors

Agilitas has formed a global partnership with IBM that will see it resell IBM services to partners at a fraction of the usual cost, according to CEO Shaun Lynn.

The "global channel services collaboration" will give partners access to IBM's multi-vendor channel services, via Agilitas, cheaper than the prices partners would typically see if they approached vendors directly, Lynn (pictured) claimed.

"Traditionally vendors would want to charge the channel the same price as the end user so there is no margin for the channel, and the channel isn't interested," he said.

"This is more affordable than going to any of the vendors.

"It's a lower-cost, higher-service offering. It's a far more innovative and flexible service at a price point that will be of interest to the channel."

Lynn claimed that the partnership is an unusual one in the channel, given that Agilitas will be reselling IBM's services and support for a number of vendors, rather than just IBM's own technology.

"In most other channel deals it would be Agilitas reselling IBM services for IBM products," he said. "This is reselling IBM services across all of the products they can support regardless of who the vendor is.

"We're effectively building a solution that has an element of IBM support in it and the customer is getting best of breed on parts, logistics, remote technical support and other areas.

"We're building that bundle at an extremely competitive price. This is very unique."

Lynn claimed that the partnership will help IBM broaden the number of channel partners it works with.

"They see Agilitas as one of the ways to access that market, but the real uniqueness is that we are working with IBM to support all technology," he added.