The IBM Global Business Partner Challenge recognises IBM Business Partners for their sales enablement approaches that influence channel business and help drive IBM systems, servers and storage business. Based on the criteria of effectiveness at enabling the sellers, creativity, repeatability, ease of use and quick ROI, the judging panel declared the innovative approach taken by Horizon Enterprise Systems as the winner.
“I am delighted that Horizon Enterprise Systems, a UK business partner, has won this competition. This recognition cements their growing reputation as an exciting and innovative IBM Business Partner but also demonstrates the appeal of their proposition not only in the UK, but world-wide” commented Simon Pendlebury, Vice President, Business Partners, IBM UK, Ireland and South Africa
The winning submission from Horizon Enterprise Systems detailed how to effectively target the Managed Service Providers (MSP) marketplace and provided a process for recruiting and developing new IBM clients in the Whitespace and Winback sectors. The company demonstrated its sales enablement excellence with an approach that helps to ensure MSPs that sell IT services to small and medium sized end users run on IBM systems and storage.
“ MSPs are in effect a channel development sector for vendors and we recognised an opportunity to increase the IBM presence by developing a unique process to recruit and support targeted MSPs,” said John Taylor, Sales Director, Horizon Enterprise Systems. “ Horizon Enterprise Systems is honoured to win such an esteemed award from IBM and delighted that its approach has been received so highly and demonstrates how creative channel development can bring new markets and market share to IBM and its business partners.”
David Kay, Vice President, Systems and Technology Group, IBM UK, Ireland and South Africa noted “The purpose of this initiative was to recognise IBM Business Partners for innovative seller enablement approaches that drive server and storage business. I was impressed by Horizon Enterprise Systems' innovative business model. This structure is an example that has potential for the whole IBM Business Partner community and I look forward to engaging with Horizon on furthering momentum in the global Managed Service Providers and Systems Integrator space”.