IBM Sees MSPs and ISVs Through Similar Lens

At IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Big Blue is rallying independent software vendors (ISVs) and managed services providers (MSPs). In fact, IBM sees ISVs and MSPs working side by side on five potential market opportunities.

Joe Panettieri, Former Editorial Director

February 26, 2013

1 Min Read
IBM Sees MSPs and ISVs Through Similar Lens

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At IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Big Blue is rallying independent software vendors (ISVs) and managed services providers (MSPs). In fact, IBM sees ISVs and MSPs working side by side on five potential market opportunities. What are they? Glad you asked. Here’s the list.

The hot topic areas include:

  1. Social business

  2. Mobile

  3. Smarter analytics

  4. Cloud

  5. PureSystems

Jim Corgel, general manager, ISV and developer relations at IBM, apparently hosted an ISV and MSP Forum earlier today at PartnerWorld. (Sorry I missed it; I was side tracked battling with Caesar’s Palace to sort out a room check-in delay.)

Of those five IBM opportunities, I suspect most MSPs will focus first on mobile and cloud, followed by PureSystems. I realize social business and analytics are hot areas, but I think the vast majority of MSPs lack expertise in those areas and will therefore hold off on those two areas.

For ISVs the story may be somewhat different. All five areas are hot-buttons for ISVs. The bigger question involves whether ISVs will work with IBM or another partner first — such as:

  • Social Business: Salesforce.com has momentum here with Chatter, and Microsoft is accelerating its Yammer business.

  • Mobile: Hard to bet against Google Android and Apple iOS here.

  • Analytics: Plenty of competition from entrenched rivals like Oracle and SAP, plus emerging rivals like the Google Analytics Partner Program.

  • Cloud: Amazon, Amazon, Amazon.

Associate Blogger CJ Arlotta and I are set to attend multiple IBM sessions on Tuesday. We’ll be back with more insights.

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About the Author(s)

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri

Former Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media

See more from Joe Panettieri
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