IBM Revs Up Netezza Channel Support

IBM Corp. said it will pump up support for channel partners selling its Netezza business analytics appliances with a 12-month, zero percent financing offer, free skills-building bootcamps, access to its Innovation Centers, a new, benefits-driven authorization and incentives for sales to mid-market clients.

The vendor is positioning Netezza as key to its business analytics strategy and is “making the necessary investments to get partners up and running,” said Rich Hume, IBM general manager, Global Business Partners, in an IT ChannelPlanet interview.

“Netezza simplifies the overall engagement by allowing channel partners to get businesses going on foundational analytics functions quickly and cost-effectively,” he said. “It’s a consultative sale to the CIO now.”

IBM is touting the speed of deployment and low cost per terabyte of the Netezza appliances to drive its point that the technology makes analysis of big data more affordable and accessible. Earlier this summer, the vendor rolled out its first Netezza appliance since buying the data warehousing company late last year for some $1.7 billion.

Subsequently, it fast-tracked the technology by setting a target for half of Netezza sales to come from channel partners within four years and expanded its reach globally.

Now, through IBM’s Global Financing arm, the vendor is offering channel partners access to 12-month, zero percent financing and new 24-month lease terms on Netezza appliances for credit qualified clients. In addition, IBM is rolling out more than a dozen skills bootcamps free of charge where channel partners can gain training to set up, manage and maintain Netezza appliances.

The four-day camps are scheduled at client sites and IBM locations in select markets worldwide.

IBM also is providing channel partners access to bring customers to its 40 Innovation Centers worldwide to test Netezza appliances and build and optimize new applications for the technology.

In addition, under the Software Value Plus (SVP) program, qualified channel partners can gain authorization to resell Netezza appliances. The authorization, which will be made available starting on October 1, 2011, enables channel partners to combine the Netezza appliances with other IBM products to best match solutions to client needs, officials said.

Authorization benefits include co-market funds, a logo to display, joint go-to-market planning with IBM and financial incentives based on industry solution sales, the company said.

Through IBM’s Software Value Incentive program, qualified channel partners can earn fee-based incentives for identifying new sales leads and actively engaging in Netezza sales. The offer is available beginning on October 1, and is aimed at rewarding sales to mid-market clients.

Fuzzy Logix LLC, a Charlotte, N.C.-based predictive analytics software and services company said that IBM’s new channel resources will help it to find new sales and deliver better services to its customers.

“Fuzzy Logix will use these resources from IBM to uncover global business opportunities and deliver higher value services to our clients," said Mike Upchurch, Fuzzy Logix chief operating officer.

“Our company has a long history of working with Netezza and our joint technologies are proven to help businesses quickly realize the benefits of analytics," he said.