IBM Channel Chief Vows To Simplify Partnering With Vendor

Mike Borman, IBM's general manager, Global Business partners, told attendees at the vendor's PartnerWorld 2004 conference in Las Vegas Monday that the ongoing efforts are at the behest of Business Partners who complain that navigating all the disparate parts of IBM is difficult.

For example, IBM this year has made it easier for Premier Business Partners to attain that status across all of their business, Borman said. Previously, he noted that a Business Partner might achieve premier status in storage, for example, but have only advanced or member status in other IBM lines.

"We are going to give the Business Partner premier status across all of IBM, not just one (product) here and one there," Borman said. "It's designed to break down the walls."

Solution providers said that IBM's effort to add more field channel sales reps also has made a huge difference in making it easier to work with the company.

"They've taken about 100 reps who used to be direct and shifted them over to the channel," said Steve Israel, executive vice president of AMC, a New York-based solution provider. "Since we've had an IBM sales rep assigned to us, just our IBM software business is up close to 300 percent."

Borman noted that IBM has also upgraded its Business Partner Charter to officially incorporate the rules of engagement with IBM Global Services. Those rules were introduced last June.