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Sunil Mahajan, Director, Ecosystem, IBM India & South Asia talks about the new partner programme from IBM in this interaction.
What are the new opportunities IBM is giving to the partners?
Sunil Mahajan - We are transforming the IBM Ecosystem to be a multi-billion-dollar growth engine for the company and its partners. With that in mind, we recently launched IBM Partner Plus which is a new program that redefines how we engage with our ecosystem partners through a single integrated experience centered around three pillars - competitive incentives, insider access and enhanced support and benefits - to help partners win with clients and grow with IBM.
Our new streamlined IBM Ecosystem strategy offers six core promotions that have a larger impact and are consistent with our six core brands: Power, Storage, Data & AI, Automation, Security and Sustainability.
We have developed a unified Partner Solution Showcase with enhanced, contextual search and lead generation capabilities. Our specialized Build, Service and Sell learning tracks provide training in market-leading hybrid Cloud and AI skills, as well as revamped our approach to skilling that, for the first time, gives all registered partners access to the same training and enablement as IBM sellers.
How can partners benefit from the revamped Partner Plus programme?
Sunil Mahajan - IBM Partner Plus program offers partners access to all of IBM’s resources, incentives and support to help them gain clients. The simple incentives structure focuses on increased transparency and predictability for partners and provides visibility into how their business decision impacts their incentives.
As mentioned earlier, they also have access to the same technology, educational resources, and skilling as IBM sellers at no additional cost. Additionally, access to quarterly sales kick offs sessions, participate in live training sessions and other technical events. Focused technical experts assist partners in the development of minimal viable products, proofs of concept, and custom demos to help them win client business and accelerate growth.
We are putting partners in control of their growth and earning potential. As they increase their technical expertise and demonstrate sales success, partners can progress to three tiers - Silver, Gold and Platinum - which unlock specialized financial incentives, benefits and go-to-market support. The IBM Partner Portal will give partners a clear progression path to track their expertise and revenue, and transparency around deal registration and sharing. We’ve reduced the auto deal share process from 2 weeks to 48 hours and deal registration from 48 hours to just minutes.
What are the specific expectations from your partners in India in 2023?
Sunil Mahajan - Partners are at the center of our GTM strategy which is reflected in our IBM Partner Plus program and the focus of our sales team alignment with respect to Business Partners. We are expecting our partners to seize the opportunity to learn new skills, advance on existing skills and engage with IBM sellers and co-create solutions. Our expectation is to build a lasting and profitable ecosystem for customers, business partners and IBM together!
How do you plan to meet your partners' expectations?
Sunil Mahajan - Our new approach represents the biggest change to our go-to-market model in 30 years, simplifying the way we cover, work, and co-create with partners. We want to be a key part of our partner’s success, and that entails delivering a consistent experience for partners of all types and with differing needs to help them win deals and grow their business.