IBM Smarter Commerce

The IBM corporation announced expansion of an initiative IBM Smarter Commerce ("Reasonable commerce") to help business partners to use the growing market opportunities created by the changing consumer behavior during an era of mobile devices and social networks. Except the guides to sales, marketing and technical issues, business partners can acquire the right to encouragement (to 50% of cost of the implemented software) and also for financing with a zero interest rate.

Expanding the initiative, IBM gives to business partners an opportunity more simply and cost-efficient to propose the solutions Smarter Commerce. Within an initiative of IBM Smarter Commerce the software products and services allowing to transform business processes for more rapid response to the changing demand of clients in the modern digital market are offered the companies.

IBM estimates possibilities of the software market for "Reasonable commerce" at 20 billion dollars. These opportunities are supported by demand from the organizations which look for methods of automation of marketing, sales and service for the purpose of increase in a customer loyalty more and more actively.

IBM invests partners in the ecosystem, offering opportunities for improvement of skills, technical support, resources for development and industry knowledge which will allow partners to meet more effectively demand of clients in the conditions of the growing popularity of mobile technologies and social networks. At the first stage this initiative will be focused on business partners with skills in such industries as retail, telecommunications, bank service and consumer goods.

Within an initiative of IBM Smarter Commerce for Business Partners partners can acquire the right to the daily support provided by the appointed manager of IBM for means for investments into marketing and actions and also for participation in seminars of IBM on business development and use of tools of assessment of IBM for development of individual customer requirements.

Besides, business partners can acquire the right to special financial encouragement. The service IBM Global Financing (IGF) will offer partners interest-free financing for 12 months to partners who are participants of the IBM Software Value Plus Business Partner Program program.

One of advantages to business partners according to the solutions Smarter Commerce is that they can participate in the IBM Software Value Plus Program program within which the service IBM Global Financing (IGF) will offer interest-free financing for 12 months. IGF is going to prepare offers on the software with financing of the equipment and services for the developed Global Partner Specialty Program program. Such offers of IGF will allow business partners and their clients to reduce initial costs by development and providing the solutions Smarter Commerce and to accelerate an investment payback.

Now the initiative of Smarter Commerce for Business Partners includes two components designed to help partners with development and granting an extensive range of offers — from the integrated supply chain management and B2B networks (business and business) to the solutions B2C (business client).

• Software Value Plus Smarter Commerce Capability — business partners can acquire the right to encouragement at the rate to 50% of the sales volume of the software of Smarter Commerce, including the solutions Unica, Coremetrics and Websphere Commerce. To acquire such right, business partners should be the authorized IBM software providers with certificates in the field of sales and technical support.
• Smarter Commerce Solution Development Initiative is providing the support of sales and technical assistance focused on specific industries, holding seminars for clients, access to the global centers of innovations of IBM and the help in sales process of solutions to clients. To acquire the right to such opportunities, regional integrators, independent software developers and suppliers of marketing services should have certificates of IBM for the software and solutions for such industries as retail, telecommunications, bank service and consumer goods.

Certified partners can also take advantage of offers of Smarter Commerce University for improvement of the skills. Business partners can get access to scenarios of sales, the role training competitive to the analysis and state-of-the-art reviews through materials of virtual and classroom rates.

For more information on the IBM Smarter Commerce program visit the http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_commerce/overview/index.html web page

One of key milestones in the century history of IBM — use of the Internet as platforms for business. The modern market of the solutions Smarter Commerce became possible thanks to the invention of electronic business ten years ago. Modern more reasonable and more educated consumers receive benefits from comprehensive knowledge in the field of commerce, collective work and content described by IBM in 1996.