IBM is strengthening its partner ecosystem and driving innovation through strategic investments in three core areas – hybrid cloud, AI, and fostering a thriving ecosystem of partners. In an exclusive interaction with CRN India, Yukti Punjabi, Director – Ecosystem, IBM India & South Asia, outlines the company’s efforts that aim to empower partners to meet the growing demand for innovation in AI and hybrid cloud technologies, creating a more agile and innovative partner ecosystem. She also highlights the key tenets of IBM’s Partner Plus Program that offers clear pathways for partners to grow their businesses.
Q. How is IBM positioning itself and its partners as a driving force in meeting the soaring demand for AI and Hybrid Cloud adoption?
IBM is strengthening its partner ecosystem and driving innovation through strategic investments in three core areas – hybrid cloud, AI, and fostering a thriving ecosystem of partners. Our approach to partnerships spans three motion categories – sell, build, and service, offering partners the flexibility to align with their strengths and preferences. This model ensures that both IBM and its partners are well-equipped to address the increasing demand for AI-powered and hybrid cloud solutions.
To further empower our partners, IBM has tripled the resources dedicated to brand partner sales and expanded technical support ensuring partners have the tools, expertise, and backing they need to thrive in a competitive market.
Finally, co-creation is essential for innovation, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions through a collaborative approach with our partners that integrate AI and hybrid cloud technologies. While co-creation is critical, co-selling is equally important. These efforts converge around IBM’s embeddable AI portfolio, which accelerates the development and market launch of AI-powered products. Partners like Tech Mahindra, Wipro, and GS Lab | GAVS are already embedding watsonx into their solution portfolios, showcasing the transformative potential of our collaborative efforts.
Q. At the beginning of 2024, IBM declared this year as “the year of the partner.” Could you highlight the key initiatives tailored to empower partners’ success and enable them to explore new growth opportunities with IBM?
Our priority has been on empowering business partners with the resources and support needed to drive growth. Through targeted programs and initiatives, we have nearly tripled the number of partners in India, extending our presence into emerging cities such as Indore, Lucknow, Tirupati, and Coimbatore.
One of our key initiatives is the IBM Partner Plus Program, which features events like Tech Exchange Days and incubation programs. These provide partners with hands-on experience and deep insights into IBM technologies. Additionally, we place a strong emphasis on training and certification and collaborating with global distributors to ensure partners are equipped to address the growing demand for AI and hybrid cloud solutions.
We have also strengthened partnerships with global systems integrators such as HCLTech, TCS, Wipro and others by establishing dedicated Centers of Excellence (CoE) to develop AI-driven solutions. For ISVs, we are enabling co-creation with a “land-and-expand” approach — starting with small use cases, scaling them to production, and expanding their reach. IBM watsonx platform enables ISV’s to develop and deploy responsible AI solutions for businesses by providing multiple model choices, built on open technologies, and ability to run anywhere.
Q. In what ways is IBM helping its partners pursue new business opportunities, unlock new revenue streams, and accelerate growth with both existing and prospective customers?
IBM’s Partner Plus Program is at the core of our strategy to help partners generate new business opportunities. This program provides partners with access to competitive incentives, real-time visibility into earnings, and opportunities to scale rapidly.
The use of IBM’s generative AI tools, such as watsonx, is a key component in driving innovation. Partners can tap into these tools to create customized AI solutions for their clients, which helps unlock new revenue streams. For instance, this year, we expanded the availability of our software portfolio to 92 countries in the AWS Marketplace, making it easier for partners to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on AWS.
IBM also provides comprehensive sales and technical support, enabling partners to bring solutions to market faster. Additionally, our focus on co-selling and demand generation ensures partners benefit from a consistent flow of leads and can close deals with greater efficiency.
Q. What sort of competencies and capabilities do partners need to build to address customers’ complex challenges in today’s digital and AI-driven landscape?
Partners must focus on developing expertise in AI and hybrid cloud technologies to meet the market’s evolving demands. According to IBM’s AI in Action report, the most successful partners excel in strategy, data management, and application development. With AI becoming a critical competitive differentiator, it is imperative for partners to be equipped to deploy AI solutions at scale.
Equally important is the ability to cultivate deep client relationships, guiding them from initial experimentation to full-scale deployment. Partners should also prioritise up-skilling their workforce in AI proficiency, as the capability to customize AI models and address complex challenges will be key to driving client success.
Q. Looking ahead, how is IBM planning to enhance its partner initiatives, building on the success of the Partner Plus program and advancing technology?
IBM has introduced a new Service Track designed to foster closer collaboration with systems integrators and consultancies. This initiative will enable partners to co-develop tailored solutions, delivering greater value to clients.
We are also advancing our AI-driven solutions by launching advanced analytics platforms and data-sharing environments that help partners unlock new business opportunities. Furthermore, IBM plans to broaden the Partner Plus Program by integrating additional support for partners focused on edge computing, quantum technologies, and AI training. These efforts aim to empower partners to meet the growing demand for innovation in AI and hybrid cloud technologies, creating a more agile and innovative partner ecosystem.
Q. How does IBM measure the success of its ‘partner-centric approach’? And explain in what ways can partners achieve new levels of success?
At IBM, we measure the success of our ‘partner-centric approach’ through several key metrics, including partner satisfaction, revenue growth, innovation, and successful joint customer engagements. We also assess the financial impact of our partnerships by evaluating how effectively partners leverage IBM’s tools and technologies to drive business outcomes. Moreover, we monitor how partners capitalise on co-selling opportunities, demand generation programs, and technical resources to maximise value for customers.
Additionally, IBM’s Partner Plus Program offers clear pathways for partners to grow their businesses. To date, we have successfully executed several co-marketing initiatives, helping both existing and new partners strengthen their funnels and pipelines. These efforts have been carried out in tier-1 and tier-2 cities, engaging thousands of clients.
Our technical experts collaborate with partners, supported by ecosystem technical specialists who can develop proof-of-concept solutions. These proofs of concept enable partners to showcase to their clients what a technical solution would look like.
Looking ahead, our aim is to deliver on our promise of being the partner of choice by making it easier for both new and longstanding partners to do business with IBM.
