Infotech Lead Asia: Targeting small to midsize businesses in emerging markets such as India and Africa, IBM will offer business partners one-year free access to cloud-based IBM Digital Analytics technology.
IBM said its new projects would assist its global business partners to utilize cloud, mobile and big data analytics technologies to generate new revenue streams
Targeting a new set of buyers — chief marketing officer (CMO), chief of police and the chief financial officer — IBM says its new businesses will help in analyzing big data to identify patterns in customer preferences and transform real-time marketing strategies to target the individual consumer more effectively.
According to IDC, the IT industry spending will exceed $2.1 trillion in 2013, driven by double-digit growth in mobile, cloud, big data and social technologies – and by emerging markets’ growth.
Business partners will have free access to this cloud-based technology to apply deep analytics to mine big data and enable them to compete in today’s digital and social environment.
In addition, IBM Business Partners in this program will also receive access to services to help them capture, qualify, prioritize and assign client leads more effectively.
Teresa Zobrist, CEO of Zobrist Consulting, said: “As the retail environment has changed with the proliferation of mobile devices and social media, this is presenting new opportunities for our clients in the retail industry to engage with their consumers in new ways.”
Bishop Company, an online retailer, is using IBM Smarter Commerce, enabling its marketing executives to apply deep analytics to promote the right products while responding to changing consumer trends. As a result, Bishop Company’s online sales have increased 200 percent.
Its new new initiative — Ready for IBM MobileFirst — is designed to help business partners develop the right skills to bring innovative mobile solutions to the market in a variety of industries.
Meanwhile, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) can embed mobile technologies into their solutions with the Software Value Plus program, an initiative that rewards business partners who distinguish themselves through industry skills and solutions.
IBM will also offer mobile certifications, workshops and incentives for resellers and systems integrators.
Moreover, IBM is collaborating with Sproxil leveraging mobile and cloud technologies to help manufacturers view and analyze real time consumer data to detect and prevent drug counterfeiting.
Consumers in emerging markets such as India, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria can verify the authenticity of prescriptions in seconds with their own mobile phones anytime, anywhere securely through the cloud.
Sproxil CEO Ashifi Gogo said: “Mobile represents a significant growth area for the pharmaceutical industry. As the use of smartphones and tablets surges, the pharmaceutical industry needs a strategic understanding of how mobile can play to drive innovation.”
IBM is enabling IBM Business Partners to help credit-qualified clients take advantage of simple, flexible lease and loan packages for the Ready for IBM MobileFirst portfolio and Big Data analytics, starting at as low as 0 percent for 12 months with no upfront costs.
IBM Systems and Technology Group plans to increase its channel sales and technical sales specialists by 50 percent in 2013 to assist Business Partners in closing more solution opportunities.
IBM is continuing to invest $150 million in lead generation for business partners with the goal of four times the number of leads passed to Business Partners in 2013 to help grow their business.
