IBM Says New Attach Connector Tool Can Help Seal The Deal

The IT giant has rolled out Attach Connector, an online tool to help solution providers clothe deals with more IBM hardware, software and services.

Attach Connector, developed by the IBM.com team, gives solution providers information on the value proposition of attached products and services and questions to ask customers to help close the sale, said Donn Atkins, general manager of IBM Global Business partners, at Avnet Partner Solutions& Ignition event in San Antonio last week.

“This is something every member of your sales team will use. It has a list of possible attach items. It can generate a report, including a list of top priorities for the end user and recommended products,” Atkins said. The tool is being tested now and should be available to solution providers by the start of next quarter, he added.

Avnet Partner Solutions aims to integrate the tool with its Channel Connection tool, said Nicole Enright, director of operational excellence at the Tempe, Ariz.-based distributor. “Because it&s new, we&re going to spend a little time working with it and determine how to most effectively make it work for the VAR community and IBM,” she said.

Some Avnet solution providers were unsure how effective the tool would be. “It&s interesting, but I couldn&t see our field reps carrying that out, sitting with a customer and using it. I could see our inside-sales folks using it, but we don&t do much inside sales,” said Jim Sweeney, president of Distributed Systems Services, West Lawn, Pa.

The tool is an example of how vendors are turning to solution providers to sell more of their branded products and services, said Larry Harpine, president of Stonewall Technologies, Stanton, Va. “We usually try to push maintenance contracts and software subscriptions. We don&t do much with storage or blades, but it looks like we&re going to need to start,” he said.