Arrow ECS IBM Group Newsletter

No Better Time to Push Forward

Arrow IT Appointment Setting Helps You Sell Intelligently
Even the most gung-ho sales people are likely to put cold calling at the bottom of their to-do list. And who can blame them? Trying to get senior executives to take a call is a huge challenge. In fact, experts say it now takes up to 130 attempts just to land one appointment.  That’s up from about 90 calls in previous years and a full day’s worth of phone time for even experienced sales people.

The good news for IBM Business Partners is there’s a more efficient – and effective – option for getting a foot in the door. Arrow’s IT Appointment Setting program lets partners outsource their cold calls to an Arrow ECS resource that specializes in securing high-value appointments for software and technology organizations.

Not “Old School” Telemarketing
IT Appointment Setting is available as a campaign through Arrow’s Mpower Smartcart online marketing program. It provides the resources midmarket partners need to secure initial meetings.

Tradeshow Incentive applications are due to IBM by June 30th.

Eligible IBM Business Partners who are members of PartnerWorld®  and who exhibit qualifying IBM Retail Store Solutions offerings at a tradeshow, can receive reimbursement for selected eligible event expenses, up to a maximum amount dependent upon their PartnerWorld membership level, the content of their exhibit and the tradeshow at which they exhibit.  Submit your intent forms TODAY to ensure your application is processed prior to the deadline.  For questions, please contact your Arrow Client Executive.

Spotlight June 22, 2009

Arrow partners driving IBM's Business Process Management (BPM) solution understand the complexity of finding the best fit for a customer's business environment. Read more... Use it or Lose it - Check the deadlines for Power Promotions expiring 6/30/09 Read more... Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the IBM System x EXAct and Blade Business Partner Investment Programs (but were afraid to ask) Find out here... A new registration process will be available for N series registration effective June 15, 2009 Read more... Tradeshow Incentive applications are due to IBM by June 30th.  Read more...

New ISS Certification and Prep Courseware are now available. Read more... Zero in on new business with IBM Global Financing (IGF). IGF is extending 0% financing and other attractive rates for 2Q09. Read more... Find out about what IBM has changed with Announcement Letter 509-476 dated April 7, 2009. Don’t miss the Certification Deadlines.  Read more... No Better Time to Push Forward.  Read more... The New Power Equation: Delivering an Energy Efficient Dynamic Infrastructure - the prefect FREE briefing for you and your customers. Learn more here... On July 14, IBM will be launching additional capabilities for several of its leading Systems Storage products. More details here...

Pre--Announcement Education: IBM Systems Storage July 14 announcement -- July 7, 8, 9, 10

On July 14, IBM will be launching additional capabilities for several of its leading Systems Storage products. The enhancements include new Native Replication feature being added to the IBM 7650 ProtecTIER Deduplication product line and significant enhancements to the IBM XIV Storage System. Also included in the announcement are the DS8000 thin provisioning feature, and preview SVC V5 with improved replication functions, new 2145-CF8 hardware delivering 8 Gbps FC support, larger cache, better performance and integrated Solid State Devices.

Four teleconferences will be held the week of July 6 to review these announcements: 

• July 7 - July 14 Information Infrastructure Launch Overview: https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/tsee070709tr

• July 8 - Native Replication for ProtecTIER Deduplication Solutions: https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/tsee070809tr

• July 9 - XIV Product Announcement Sales Teleconference: https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/tsee070909tr

• July 10 - July 14 Announcement: DS8000 and SAN Volume Controller (SVC): https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/tsee071009tr

Please plan on attending these important calls.

Check out the Power Break podcast on Kicking out the Competition!

Got 18 minutes? Take a Power Break ! Only 18 minutes and you can learn from your colleagues how they were successful in kicking the competition out of their accounts ... Listen to Ernesto de Ruggiero (Telecom Italia), Michal Wawrzynski (PZU) and Mark McNeal (PayPal) and learn about the customer's pain points , how they overcame objections, the most compelling part of their proposal and the final IBM solution!

http://www-304.ibm.com/services/weblectures/dlv/Gate.wss?handler=Component&sequence=6&customer=partnerworld&offering=caps&action=load&itemCode=ltu28677&curriculum=&category=&pps_current_info=yes

IBM 3Q Sales Plays - BP Advantage Newsline webcast on July 8 (North America)

Join IBM Channel Marketing on Wednesday July 8, 2009 for a review of the powerful 3Q Salesplays. Learn all about the sales plays your firm can leverage to ensure a successful quarter and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Be sure to share this notice with colleagues who won't want to miss this call. This call series is normally held the first Wednesday of the month, but due to holidays it has been moved to July 8. Note: The audio dial-in and passcode for the call have changed. Be sure to include the new telephone number and passcode on your calendar. Use this same dial-in and passcode for the remaining calls scheduled this year (July 8, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2, 2009.) Audio Dial-in: (800) 475-4945 or (773) 799-3307. (NEW) Passcode: NEWSLINE. Agenda 3Q Sales Plays Q&A Web access and call-in details Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009. Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET. No registration required. Webcast: http://sametimeunyte.com. Select "Join a Meeting" Webcast ID: 3163634 If you have not used Sametime Unyte previously, we recommend that you complete a system check beforehand: Unyte Meeting System Check Presentations can also be found on the day of the call at: www.ibm.com/partnerworld/mem/newsline Replay A replay will be available for one month after the date of the call. (The replay number and passcode are the same for the remaining calls scheduled this year.) Dial-in :(866) 421-6936 or (203) 369-0826. Passcode: 1950. For questions, contact Claire Colle at ccolle@ca.ibm.com.

Selling Storage in Economically Challenging Times: TCONow! for Disk tool Available - Training session follow-up Note.

Last friday IBM completed the two TCONow for Disk general enablement sessions for BPs.

For those of you who may have missed the call, or had problems to call-in the replay will be available on the link below.

Replay session:

http://ibmstg.na3.acrobat.com/p14117168/

Let's now start using TCONow for Disk to:

- Show the financial value proposition of IBM's Mid-range and Enterprise Disk products,

- Show the client the complete cost of "business as usual" and

- Protect your margins by showing your customers the economic benefit they get, without the need to discout.

Useful links to material and content focused on value-selling

Information Infrastructure: Improving Storage Economics sales kit.

Economics-oriented material, information and TCO/ROI calculation tools (including TCONow for Disk), tool basic enablement and help material for Storage.

http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/SSinfoinfraImproStoEco.Skit

DS8000 and DS4/5000 platforms materialin the sales kit includes:

- Value proposition - IBM quantitative advantages on the product

- TCO/ROI examples - Customer-ready examples that present savings/economic benefits when comparing solutions

- TCONow for Disk tool - Tool to prepare customized TCO/ROI analysis.

Software and instructions to download

https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/mem/ContentHandler/tstotcocomptool113005

- TCONow for Disk basic enablement material

Quick demo

https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/SSTCOdiskdemo

User Guide

https://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/SSTCODiskusergud

- IOT Practitioners - Subject Matter Experts on WW regions that can help you on competitive situations, additional education or questions on the use of this tool

- Additional information - Links to other helpful material, etc.

Other Platforms material.Collateral material focused on value selling, documents, TCO/ROI calculation tools, tools enablement, contacts for help, etc. are also available for XIV, SVC and Enterprise Tape platforms in the sales kit.

Additional enablement material

General enablement recorded session is available here

http://ibmstg.na3.acrobat.com/p14117168/

Arrow ECS has released N/Compass' Version 11 for Power Systems I

Arrow ECS has released N/Compass’ Version 11 for Power Systems I.  Business Partners have increased their revenue and customer communications by maintaining the latest version of N/Compass for their Power I system customers. More commission, another value add and a solid solution from Arrow ECS for your customer’s accounting and financial software needs. See the rundown of the newest features of N/Compass’ Version 11 release here:

Download NCOMPASS v11 New Features (2)

Technical Sales Mastery Education Schedule Summer 2009

Customers want to work with experts who understand their business and can help them achieve their objectives. IBM Business Partners who have expertise across the IBM software portfolio are well positioned to deliver high client value.

 

At Arrow ECS, and want to help you be the leader within the IBM Software Business Partner channel. To accomplish this through increasing your skills and to be ready for the October Growth Through Skills Program, we will be offering the following classes:

 

·        July 23 – WebSphere MQ M05

o      Add to calender

o      Register here: https://arrow.webex.com/arrow/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=719698854

·        August 6 – Information Management M30

o      Add to calender

o      Register here: https://arrow.webex.com/arrow/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=713605686

·        August 20 – WebSphere Portal M13 (Counts toward Lotus Certification)

o      Add to calender

o      Register here: https://arrow.webex.com/arrow/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=710685883

 

All classes will be from 1-5 pm ET with a live instructor to help you prepare and pass the IBM Software Mastery Exams.

 

To register for any one of these classes, go here: https://arrow.webex.com/arrow/onstage/g.php?p=5&t=m.

Once you register, we will send you instructions on how to get to the webex and teleconference portions of the training.

 

Together, we will help you maximize your software value to your customers and increase your skills through software!

InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 is now generally available!

Data warehouse provides an excellent complete solution for Arrow Cognos partners and a necessary component for a robust business intelligence solution. InfoSphere Warehouse will allow clients faster time to the value of analytics and reduce the costs of delivering a data warehouse, which includes managing mixed workloads effectively and reducing storage costs by up to 75 percent.

Since IBM first announced InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 in April, we have seen a tremendous amount of positive interest and awareness throughout the industry. Press, clients, partners and analysts have been buzzing, and there have been more than 51,000 page hits and 36,000 new visitors to the IBM websites since the announcement.

Arrow partners can download the trial version of DB2 9.7 and InfoSphere Warehouse Enterprise 9.7.
        * https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=swg-dm-db297trial
        * https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=swg-isw97trial

The complete annnouncement is available here:
IBM United States Software Announcement 209-129
May 19, 2009

http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=an&subtype=ca&appname=Demo&htmlfid=897/ENUS209-129