IBM embarks on a multi-dimensional digital transformational journey aided by its partners

When it comes to IBM’s digital transformational journey, partners have a big role to play in helping customers adopt the digital strategy. Speaking in praise of its partners, Mukul Mathur, Vice President - Global Business Partners and System Integrators, IBM India/SA shares with VARINDIA the three-pronged strategy that IBM has specially devised to aid its partners drive this transformation -  

“Focus a lot on skills, as this is the differentiator. The effectiveness of digital transformation is driven by innovation and this innovation comes with skills.”

IBM has been on the forefront of the transformation that is happening and the opportunities that are emerging in the marketplace and is driving them both for the clients as well as for IBM. The significant part of its GTM is the partner ecosystem that IBM works with within this transformation journey. 

IBM has declared in the beginning of 2016 that it is going to be a cognitive solution company with cloud as the delivery model and supported by security. True to that we are leading with that strategy. The channel strategy from IBM is completely aligned to building a channel that helps us deliver this promise to our clients. This channel not only helps clients in their traditional transactional systems but also in their digital transformation,” explains Mukul Mathur, Vice President - Global Business Partners and System Integrators, IBM India/SA.

IBM is driving the digital transformation through a three-pronged strategy –
•    Enriching/expanding the portfolio – IBM traditionally had a very strong portfolio on the enterprise side which comprises of the systems business, the storage business, the transactional software business; to this IBM added many new solutions and capabilities on the Watson platform. For instance the Bluemix Cloud infrastructure gives its partners the option to look at software solutions either on the on-premise or the SaaS model. 

IBM also has multiple alliances that add up to the offerings, like with VMware, SAP HANA. “We also have several technology offerings that partners can use, like we announced blockchain technology or the security offerings that we have in our portfolio - so this is all about how we are continuing to enrich our offerings that partners can now take. Depending on the partners and their expertise, they combine these products as building blocks in their own unique fashion to offer value to their clients,” explains Mukul. 

•    Enablement – The partner community of IBM is very diverse. Some of the partners who came from traditional platforms are trying to transform into new solutions. IBM has these structured business transformational workshops that help partners look at different technology areas and co-work with them. “If any partner is looking at moving some of the workload to the hybrid cloud model, we help them do that. Many new players have emerged with very niche expertise and we are helping them with tools to technically enable them so that they can build their applications and solutions. In a matter of 1 month we added 80+ partners on our SaaS portfolio. We have worked with close to 1000 – 1200 start-ups in India. Also, this year we have launched a completely new Partner World Program,” says Mukul.

 The tiering of partners into Platinum, Gold and Silver categories is also not done just by size of revenue but by looking at it more from an expertise perspective which need not be only on IBM product but can be any industry vertical expertise. IBM also gives high weightage to the kind of client references that the partners have and the kind of value they are delivering to the customer through the IBM solution. 

•    Engagement – There is a big thrust at IBM to help partners take its solutions to its customers. There are many modes and media through which it helps its partners go to the market. One very common medium is the digital. “We help partners run digital campaigns by using IBM assets. Globally we have a marketplace where partners can put their solutions. We organize industry specific forums like Healthcare, financial services or Manufacturing where we invite our partners to present their solutions that they are developing and even our customers would be present. Recently we did the IBM Cloud Forum. So there are a number of ways through which we are engaging and still exploring to find out what other ways can we expand this engagement module,” explains Mukul. 

It is however true that no transformation, particular the one that is so rapid and disruptive is easy. If we go back into 4 -5 years of IBM history, many partners who were there in its traditional businesses have opted out of this transformation. “The biggest piece of this transformation is the requirement to have different types of skills; not because technology is changing but who you sell to has changed,” points out Mukul. “You no longer sell to the technology officer but to the business leader. The nature of skill that partners need to have is very solution oriented.”

It has been a multi-dimensional journey for IBM, looking at analytic, cognitive, cloud solutions and translating them into outcome-based, and aligning with that of IBM’s business strategy. 

Partners who are better aligned to their customers’ transformational objectives know their digital needs and the kind of challenges customers face. They are able to proactively reorient themselves and drive the transformation ahead of the curve. Partners need to remain core to their customers’ digital transformation; otherwise the latter will cease to continue doing business with them, according to Mukul. 

Samrita Baruah
samrita@varindia.com