Arrow ECS IBM Group Newsletter

Beacon Award Nominations Extended to November 29

The deadline for Beacon Award nominations has been extended to Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST (New York). This is your opportunity to either complete a draft nomination or submit a new nomination. More than 25 awards are available, recognizing achievement across a wide range of solution areas. All IBM Advanced and Premier Business Partners are eligible to nominate a solution.

As one of the many benefits, winners of each Beacon Award will be recognized at the IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference. Award winners will receive a complimentary conference registration and hotel accommodations and finalists will receive a complimentary conference registration.

Visit PartnerWorld for award descriptions and to nominate your most innovative solution of 2011.

Beacon Award Nominations Deadline Extended to November 7th.

As we continue into Q4, it is important to execute your plan for a strong 2011 close and take time to reflect on your accomplishments. The 2012 Beacon Awards recognize IBM Business Partners who have raised the standard for delivering innovative solutions and exemplary client satisfaction. The Outstanding Business Transformation through Becoming a Social Business Award recognizes the IBM Business Partner that has adopted and leveraged the latest IBM Collaboration Solutions (ICS) technologies, has made a significant investment in IBM and the ICS portfolio, and that demonstrates a fresh, unique and powerful solution that help their customers become a Social Business. More information. 

RS4 - Retail Store Solutions Sales Summit - 2012 San Diego

Mark Your Calendar:  April 30 – May 3, 2012
Retail Store Solutions presents the 2012 RS4 event at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, California, Monday, April 30 through Thursday, May 3, 2012.   We are thrilled to invite you to this great educational and networking opportunity.   The event will focus on current issues facing retailers and creative ways sales teams can craft and install intelligent business solutions to meet your customers’ needs.  

Check out the Rock 2012 Website where you will find conference details and agenda information in the coming weeks.

BP Incentive for IBM Global Smarter Commerce Summit

The Smarter Commerce Global Summit 2011 brings together a powerful combination of best practices, new technology and industry perspectives with deep dives into e-commerce, supply chain management, targeted and personalized marketing, mobile and social commerce, and analytics and insight.

Register 4 customers and get one FREE!  Please ask your customer to enter your company name to referred by field.  IBM will track by that field.  Once your name is referred, IBM will notify you and send the free pass registration code.

IBM Retail Store Solutions Customer Reference Business Partner Incentive (expires December 14, 2011)

Announcement Letter Number 511-254, June 14, 2011

Value proposition
Business Partners can receive one no-charge Retail Store Solutions Sales Summit® (RS4) registration in 2012 for submitting two IBM® Retail Store Solutions customer references.

The offer
For a limited time only, if eligible IBM Business Partners submit two (2) qualifying IBM Retail Store Solutions customer references for End Users* that are accepted by IBM under the terms of the IBM Client Reference Program, they can receive one (1) no-charge registration for the 2012 Retail Store Solutions Sales Summit (RS4).

There is a limit, per Business Partner company, of one (1) customer reference per End-User.  Read more...Download 511-254 RSS Customer Reference incentive

IBM Joins RetailROI To Turn Small Change Into Big Change At POS

Retail Orphan Initiative & IBM Collaborate To Help Retailers Raise Money for Charity 
 
IBM SurePOS ACE Auto RoundUp Feature Helps Shoppers Turn Small Change into Big Change for Orphans

NASHVILLE, TN - May 16, 2011 - Big changes are happening in communities across the country, inspired by shoppers who just say, "keep the change." The Retail Orphan Initiative RetailROI, in collaboration with IBM, has launched a national campaign designed to make it easy for retailers to raise money for charities at the point of sale (POS). 

RetailEd News: April 2011, Issue 14

Welcome to the twentieth edition of RetailEd News,a newsletter brought to you by the Retail Store Solutions Education team.

New Education
The following Web lectures, downloadable courses, and classroom offerings on the IBM Self Checkout System 6 Solution, the IBM 4690 Operating System, and the VisualStore Suite are available for enrollment.

Sales Education

Level 200: IBM Self Checkout - Selling the Solution (RE8320: Mar 2011 - 64 Minutes)
This course reviews the IBM Self Checkout portfolio - both hardware and software. It looks at best practices and services for a self checkout project. Critical success factors in achieving return on investment (ROI), total cost of ownership (TCO) and IBM market leadership and experience are also examined. this course has been updated with extensive information on IBM Self Checkout System 6, cash management, and an expanded and revised end of course test. The course code is RE8320. See details for IBMers and IBM Business Partners.

IBM Retail Store Solutions 2011 Jump Start Co-marketing Incentive

Approval to conduct an IBM PartnerWorld co-funded marketing activity is contingent upon adherence to the following terms and conditions, which apply in addition to the terms and conditions governing the Business Partner’s PartnerWorld membership. These provisions serve as a Supplement to the IBM PartnerWorld Marketing Funds Attachment (Appendix B) By accepting the terms and conditions of this Supplement, the Business Partner accepts the terms of the Attachment. By acceptance of these terms, the Business Partner representative affirms that s/he is authorized to bind their company to comply with these provisions. The Business Partner must accept the Terms and Conditions and may not delegate the responsibility.  Read more...

Download CC1104-100 RSS Jump Start incentive

IBM Retail Store Solutions Prometric Test Voucher Business Partner Incentive

Value Proposition

Employees from eligible IBM® Business Partner firms may receive a voucher for 100% discount off
eligible Retail Store Solutions (RSS) mastery and certification tests. Vouchers will cover the full price at
any Prometric test site or IBM RSS Conference for the following tests.

The Offer

For a limited time only, eligible IBM Business Partners can receive Prometric Test Vouchers for 100% off
the cost of eligible IBM Retail Store Solutions (RSS) certification, sales or technical mastery tests.
The Prometric Test Vouchers are valid for use through September 30, 2011 at Prometric Testing Centers
and IBM RSS educational conferences where testing is available.  Read more...

Download 511-127 RSS Prometric Test Voucher incentive

Important Deadline for RS4: March 17, 2011

March 17, 2011 is the last date you can register for RS4 and guarantee a room at the conference rate of $169 per night.  After March 17, rooms at the conference rate will be based on availability only.

Reminder: Register before March 15 and save $50 off the late registration fee.

• $550 per person …. Before March 15, 2011
• $600 per person …. After March 15, 2011

Submit your picks in the RS4 Chicago bracket pool for this year’s NCAA Tournament via the link below.  Then during the Monday night dinner reception on April 4, we will watch the final championship game on the big screen. The overall pool winner will be announced at RS4. Good luck!
Click here to access the bracket.