IBM's Elite Hybrid Cloud Build Team Enables Partners To Capitalize Value Of Open Hybrid Cloud

Please shed some light on IBM’s Elite Hybrid Cloud Build Team?

IBM's Hybrid Cloud Build Team has been set up to help partners maximize the value of an open hybrid cloud. It co-creates advanced solutions with ecosystem partners; helps modernize and migrate workloads, and infuses AI into software. Today, most companies run their workloads and applications on a mix of on premises and different public cloud environments. The best way to overcome challenges and drive maximum value is through an open approach. The team advises and engages ecosystem partners at no-charge, to help them update their workloads for deployment on premises, in the cloud, or any environment of their choosing. They guide partners through strategic, technical and operational considerations to migrate and build on hybrid cloud environments, while infusing new technologies like AI, 5G, Kubernetes and Edge.

This unique team, comprises of experts within and outside of IBM, with decades of experience across all cloud environments, including Microsoft Azure, AWS, and others. The team has already participated in over 75 engagements and helped partners for example Intellect Design Arena manage roadblocks by addressing decisions around how to manage application lifecycle, configuration and dependencies, and the best way to implement workload isolation, as they build solutions for Cloud Native environments like the IBM Cloud for Financial Services.

This team has also collaborated with LTI to co-create a solution to help insurance agency clients leverage social media reviews of businesses to help identify potential risks associated with insuring those companies.

What are the initiatives IBM is currently taking to enable partners navigate through the changing business landscape?

Our initiatives are aimed at providing access to resources and support to ensure business continuity for our partners and customers. In addition, to expertise provided by Hybrid Cloud Build team some of the key initiatives include:

• My Digital Marketing, a no-cost digital collaboration platform with 'ready-to-execute' digital campaigns with personalization and measurement mechanisms to better respond to new ways of communicating.

• Digital workshop to provide access to key virtual selling, training & learning tools

• IBM Virtual Client Center for 24/7 access to solutions, demos, webinars and more

• IBM Skills Gateway for access to digital badges and professional certifications and Seismic a central repository to provide enablement materials on demand

• Expansion of funds for co-marketing initiatives. This enables partners to reimburse 100% of eligible digital marketing expenses for initiatives in cloud and cognitive software.

• Business Partner Connect offered both IBM and Red Hat partners the ability to discover new collaboration opportunities, by leveraging Watson's matching technology to help find the right tools for shifting business needs.

• Build Credit enables partners to build with $12K worth of IBM Cloud credits

What kind of Growth are you expecting through IBM’s Elite Hybrid Cloud Build Team partner program?

At the core of IBM’s Hybrid cloud strategy is the understanding that customers need a unified and streamlined way to create modular application services to transform and modernize their IT infrastructure, in addition to managing all services no matter where those workloads reside. The journey to this transformation requires a solid technology foundation that can:

• Quickly ‘modernize’ IT landscapes - by using cloud-native technologies that run anywhere, on any cloud

• Become more ‘predictive’ by seamlessly collecting, organizing and analyzing data regardless of its type or where it resides.

• ‘Automate’ workflows and experiences to significantly improve the productivity and quality of outcomes and

• ‘Secure’ businesses against threats while managing risk and compliance.

The Hybrid Cloud Build team helps partners to lay this foundation on which their future solution roadmaps can be based with respect to technology - thereby building the true ‘open hybrid cloud’ culture.

The Hybrid Cloud Build team has received positive response and contributes significantly by driving value and innovation for our ecosystem partners. Globally the team has completed over 75 engagements, which typically last between five and twenty weeks. Due to its successes and the importance of our partner ecosystem, the Hybrid Cloud Build Team is being rolled out across geographies to enable partners on open hybrid cloud & AI, and is expected to grow to more than 200 members in 2021.

IBM is changing the way it engages and incentivizes to help grow the channel through a new and simplified partner program. What is IBM’s GTM to attract the VARs?

Ecosystem is central to our growth strategy and we have committed $1 billion investment over the next three years to help partners accelerate cloud based journey for their clients. In addition to simplifying partner programs, we have streamlined our go-to-market strategies, and have designed specialized Build, Service and Sell tracks with tailored offers to help speed time to value.

Our programs and initiatives span across partners of all types including Global System Integrators (GSI), ISV, Value Added Distributors & Resellers (VAD & VAR) and next-gen partners. Some of the key initiatives for our ecosystem partners include:

• Cloud Engagement Fund (CEF): IBM has expanded the availability of Cloud Engagement Funds to all partner whether they build on, service, or re/sell IBM technology. CEF provides significant technical resources and cloud credits for partners to help migrate customer workloads to hybrid cloud environments.

• New competency framework: This enables partners to demonstrate expertise, technical validation, and sales success in specialized areas such as hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, and security.

• New benefits: IBM is providing partners access to new benefits such as co-creation client centers, proof-of-concept incentives to fuel co-innovation, and messaging acceleration workshops to help partner organizations develop custom, buyer-centric messaging plans. These workshops help partners develop core messaging that informs and aligns all sales and marketing materials to help maximize opportunity generation for their defined market.

• New skills: IBM is enabling partners to acquire new skills aligned to the competency framework and job roles. This initiative helps bring IBM training into partners’ own learning management systems which helps our partners in building their skills and credibility in the market.