IBM Affiliate program

2017: Expansion of the affiliate program

On March 6, 2017 the IBM corporation announced strategic expansion of the affiliate program. Initiatives it is focused on assistance to business partners in stimulation of growth of the companies, customer service quality and growth of sales volume.

The updated program PartnerWorld includes over 40 specializations thanks to which business partners will be able to receive broader examination in such fast-growing spheres as cloud computing, cognitive calculations and information security. IBM also announced a number of the initiatives directed to acceleration of growth of business of partners. They assume use of the built-in solutions, new basic products, the simplified process of resale and the improved programs of encouragement upon purchase of software.

Digital and cloud solutions continue to transform various sectors of the economy therefore our partners should have deep examination and propose cognitive solutions on the IBM Cloud platform, available in the multichannel environment. We expanded and improved the PartnerWorld program to help business partners of any type and business model to develop the opportunities according to our cognitive solutions and cloud strategy to increase offer value for customers. Mark Dyupakye, head of IBM Global Business Partners

The PartnerWorld program upgraded according to requirements of a cognitive era allows partners of IBM of all types to find opportunities for increase in value of offers, improving competitiveness and creations of flows for receipt of income.

In the second quarter the portfolio of specializations of IBM will increase to 40 names. In information security field IBM offers specialization of Information, Risk and Protection for protection of vulnerable these customers. For IBM Cloud the company will start two specializations. One of them will help users to remove, save, manage and share videos in Cloud Video. In turn, specialization of High Speed Transfer will provide to users the innovation tools for cost reduction and increase in efficiency for movement of large volumes of data in private and public IP networks. Watson Internet of Things starts specialization of Continuous Engineering for continuous design of products and systems with the high level of complexity. The company will add competence of specialization of IBM Global Financing which will help partners to use widely possibilities of instruments of financing as difference from other players in the market.

In addition to creation of specializations for partners, IBM started projects in four areas to accelerate growth in a partner ecosystem:

• Offer of the built-in solutions: IBM submitted the agreement of Embedded Solutions Agreement which simplifies for business partners of IBM integration of own examination and offers with technologies and IBM services. Such agreement allows partners to create solutions, accurate, available in the market, under the brand and to deliver them to the clients on forward channels. With model of the built-in solutions business partners can use technologies and examination of IBM, reducing time of an output of products for the market and accelerating a cycle of their sales.
• Support of independent software suppliers: IBM offers now the program of certification of Ready for IBM Cloud and also other advantages which are designed to stimulate independent software suppliers to creation and sales of cloud solutions on the Bluemix platform.
• Simplification of resales: In the second quarter 2017 of IBM will start the solution IBM Express Start which will simplify process of authorization of business partners for resale of basic products of IBM, including Software Open Distribution, IBM XaaS-Entry, PowerLinux and software tools of storage of starting level. Such business partners will also be able to join PartnerWorld, to obtain data on pricing and to resell solutions using IBM Express Start quicker, than ever before.
• Expansion of programs of encouragement for software: Since April, 2017 IBM will expand programs of encouragement that will allow business partners to get the highest awards in an IBM Commercial segment, during the work with new clients, creation of solutions and autonomous sales. Initiatives of IBM will allow to receive more unrolled picture, to increase quality of forecasts and to lower operational loading for business partners worldwide – according to their wishes.

IBM developed PartnerWorld Advisor for quick search of information connected with structure of the PartnerWorld program, specializations, program levels, agreements on the system of encouragement and so on. It is about the voice and text assistant on the basis of Watson technology.

2015: One Channel Team program

On February 11, 2015 at the PartnerWorld Leadership conference the IBM corporation announced start of the One Channel Team program. This initiative will simplify process of acquisition of new skills and also will help business partners to stimulate demand and to strengthen growth of the companies.

One Channel Team synchronizes all transactions of the companies to provide to present and future business partners extensive and more competitive practical knowledge thanks to which they could benefit by the new profitable directions, such as cloud computing, Big Data, analytics, mobile technologies, social business and security. This step also focuses attention of IBM on inclusion in the program of new business partners, developers and independent software providers who could create solutions in compliance with strategic initiatives of IBM.

IBM will help to accelerate transformation of business of present and future partners, to help them to benefit by new market opportunities using IBM Cloud Marketplace, SoftLayer and Bluemix and also to create scalable applications based on an ecosystem of Watson and to personalize them thanks to IBM Systems technologies. Besides, the service of social interaction IBM Verse which is planned to start in March will allow business partners to improve a mail service and social skills and to be engaged at the same time in development of models of the repeating income. IBM Verse as useful services also offers message exchange and technical support.

Conversion by improvement of skills using additional educational initiatives

• Expansion of an initiative of IBM of transformation of business with the help of more than 300 new seminars which purpose is interaction with business partners, strategic consulting for increase in profitability and performance of the company in the developing sectors and also accelerations of its transformation;
• Further increasing knowledge and improvement of skills of partners by means of more comfortable educational platform which includes the new modules corresponding to changes in the industry along with more wide choice of rates with obtaining certificates based on the improved platform of the PartnerWorld university;
• Creation of more perfect educational initiatives thanks to the Know Your IBM program which at the same time can treble potential remuneration for separate sales and technical solutions and improve skills of use of an infrastructure portfolio of IBM, including in such directions as cloud computing and analytics.

Start of marketing solutions and tools for the developers directed to stimulation of demand and innovations

• Increase in number of the digital campaigns financed by means of joint marketing for the purpose of receiving by business partners content focused on web marketing and social networks on all range of products and solutions of IBM with emphasis on the IBM Digital Content Marketing platform;
• Increase in quantity of technical assets for the help to business partners and developers in creation of the servers suitable under certain ports and storage systems through OpenPower Developer Tools which are supported by more than 90 participants of OpenPOWER Foundation. These tools will help with development of new solutions using the opened, licensed and highly effective architecture of IBM POWER.

Expansion of partner ecosystems for the purpose of growth stimulation

• Expansion of community of IBM developers by means of the dW Answers platform where specialists of IBM and external partners can exchange experience and councils, to give support and to build own network of contacts. Associates can use the Centers of IBM developers – the portals for operational and direct communication which are specially selected under specific objectives and solutions.
• Expansion of opportunities for growth using cognitive calculations and thanks to an opportunity to resell Watson Explorer – a powerful combination of technologies of a research of data and the analytics of content acting as a link between cloud services and the local service information. Offering Watson Explorer to clients, business partners will help them to reduce time of a research and to work quicker.

Start of new initiatives for profitable growth together with IBM

• Increase in remunerations within the Partner Growth Incentive (PGI) program at sale of IBM Power Systems and IBM Storage. The new program offers quarterly remuneration which can be doubled at accomplishment of certain requirements, and a quarter bonus for assimilation of specific skills and obtaining certificates;
• Simplification of requirements to certification for the selected software as service (SaaS) that allows business partners to earn quicker remuneration thanks to IBM SaaS Entry Product Group;
• Improvement of awards through Remarketer Margin Enhancer which offers increase in profitability of additional revenue for 10% if will reach the target objective of a gain of profit at resale of services of IBM; and new Services Consumption Program program for stimulation of demand for services service of providers;
• Expansion of action of the Solution Accelerator Incentive program that in turn will allow business partners to earn an additional bonus at the expense of specific solutions of IBM thanks to SAI Solution Bonus Reward.

You watch also (Affiliate programs)