IBM considers its business partners to be a vital component of the ecosystem, and as a result, it strengthens its engagement and offers partners access to resources, incentives, and individualised assistance to flourish and adapt.
IBM has reaffirmed its commitment to assisting Indonesia in acquiring key technology skills and realising the benefits of the digital economy while fostering the growth of its partners through its newly created Partner Plus programme.
Kate Woolley, general manager of IBM Ecosystem, described how partners participated in the early stages of establishing the IBM Partner Plus programme.
“I spent a great deal of time listening to colleagues. I received clear communication from partners. They mentioned that IBM was an integral part of their business and that they wanted IBM to be more important to them and simple to do business with,” said Woolley, who has a consulting background and enjoys working in the technology industry due to its societal influence.
She noted that throughout the programme design phase, IBM collaborated with partners to determine how the programme should appear and what advantages they should receive.
The new IBM Partner Plus programme and reward programme were introduced in early January and will become fully operational on April 1.
The Partner Plus programme is a simple integrated programme that involves all types of IBM partners, based on the idea of “how can we advance our partners by providing them with free access to all of our resources, certifications, training, and materials?” The training materials are identical to those utilised by our IBM sales staff, stated Woolley.
IBM Partner Plus, a key component of the company’s hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence strategy, is the result of the company’s investment in elevating the role of partners and accelerating partner-led sales by enabling the ecosystem to become a preferred route to market, offering clients an optimal mix of technology, services, and consulting expertise, according to the company.
IBM will boost its ability to serve partners by increasing the number of partner-facing brand and technical specialists who will assist partners in prospecting and acquiring more client business in order to sustain growth.
Moreover, Woolley stated that IBM utilised a straightforward tier structure of silver, gold, and platinum levels that partners could use to evaluate their success. “It is a simple concept that allows partners to know where they stand and continue to develop with IBM,” she added.
According to Woolley, the program’s tiered structure is also intended to provide partners with a competitive incentive.
She stated that when partner companies develop with IBM, they may unlock additional benefits aimed to help them expand their capabilities and acquire new customers.
Existing partners are urged to have a clear knowledge of how to continue to grow with IBM as part of this initiative. “We’ve designed the programme to make it easy for new partners to interact with IBM,” she added.
She also disclosed IBM’s new Partner Acceleration programme, which allows partners to join IBM within a day as opposed to a week previously.
Woolley said that IBM’s Partner Plus programme was well-received by partners because it highlighted the company’s sustained business commitment to the ecosystem, as seen by the program’s simplicity, openness, and predictability, which partners adored.
Commitment
Paul Burton, general manager of IBM Asia-Pacific, stated, “In the framework of Partner Plus, IBM assists local partners in enhancing their marketing, driving demand, and bringing everything together to help them develop.”
“The most important thing is to allow partners with diverse areas of interest and enthusiasm, such as automation or AI, to develop their talents and have access to education,” said Burton, adding that Partner Plus has been simplified and utilised less frictional ways.
Burton also emphasised Indonesia’s bright prospects for digital transformation, as the nation was on its way to determining the future of the digital economy.
According to Burton, Indonesia is the fastest-growing IT market in the Asia-Pacific and possibly the world, with a 16 per cent growth rate, followed by India with a 12 per cent growth rate.
“The government and businesses in Indonesia have a strong desire to modernise. “Thus, it is essential that they have the proper technology, the expertise, and work with the right partners,” Burton explained.
Burton, together with Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, addressed the development of the IBM Hybrid Cloud and AI Academy in Batam in 2022. “Our commitment is to give skills training and contribute to the Indonesian economy,” stated Burton.
The school was established in cooperation with Kampus Merdeka, one of whose aims is to develop a forward-thinking Indonesian workforce capable of meeting the demands of the expanding digital economy sector.
The academy, managed by Infinite Learning, a branch of PT Kinema Systrans Multimedia, will provide courses from the IBM SkillsBuild and Red Hat programmes in the domains of AI, Hybrid Cloud, and cyber security.
Next, 150 students will participate in the five-month programme. In addition to the three-and-a-half-month virtual courses, students will receive six weeks of on-the-job training with assistance and insight from industry leaders in the IT area.
The inauguration of the IBM Hybrid Cloud and AI Academy is part of an endeavour to accelerate the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy so that the country may become a technological leader in Southeast Asia.
According to Burton, Indonesia is in an intriguing situation in terms of digital technology, which accounts for 0.2% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in comparison to Singapore’s 3.5%, Australia’s 2%, New Zealand’s 3%, India’s 0.9%, and the United States 3.5%.
This indicates that Indonesia has an extremely low [percentage of] technology compared to the size of its economy. Nonetheless, there are enormous business prospects, and the industry is expanding rapidly,” he noted.
According to him, technological proficiency is crucial for accelerating the expansion of the digital economy.
He was certain that Indonesia, which began with 0.2 per cent of the GDP, will increase to 3 or 3.5 per cent of the GDP in a reasonably short period of time. Burton stated, “I sense significant devotion and love for technology in Indonesia.”