Passing The Test

Corey's three-question litmus test is a surefire way to separate the wannabes from true partners. His affirmative responses to those questions led him to enter into a tight partnership with Veritas Software. The vendor, which just posted record results last week and is driving to be the leader in utility-computing software, is the subject of CRN Senior Editor Joseph F. Kovar's cover story this week.

Corey, whose firm uses Veritas i3 Application Performance Management (APM) suite for delivering services to clients, calls Veritas his company's most strategic partner. Corey, who used to run a database consulting company and is former president of the International Oracle Users Group, started Ntirety three years ago amid the technology meltdown after the Sept. 11 tragedy. With Veritas i3 APM suite as a key product, Ntirety says it can offer database administration for half the cost of what a client would pay for it on their own. Corey expects the three-year-old company to at least double its revenue this year.

One key to Ntirety's success is its sharp focus on its core competency: remote database administration. When a client was having trouble negotiating a software license with Oracle, Corey stepped in and did the legwork to hook its client up with a solid Oracle reseller, Aware Technologies. Deke Johnson, founder and president of Belmont, Calif.-based Aware, founded only two years ago, says IT buyers are looking for a company like his to ensure they are getting the best value for their IT dollar from Oracle and others.

"Customers don't buy widgets," says Johnson, a former Oracle sales manager. "They buy a relationship. You don't go out and buy a car from somebody you can't stand. Our job is to make customers feel better about what they buy and who they buy it from."

At the end of the day, it's partners like Ntirety and Aware that understand that trust and relationships win in the marketplace. Vendors that establish tight ties with partners like these will thrive. Those that don't will wither and die.

Which vendors pass the test? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].