Avnet Launches Business Development Tools and Events
Road2 events are organized to help IBM resellers cultivate profitable business relationships. Think Software is designed manage those relationships.
At its Avnet Ignition event in San Antonia earlier this month, Avnet Technology Solutions told its IBM reseller partners two things: 1) that it has released new Think Software business development tools for VARS, and 2) new networking events–Road2 Security and Road2 Information Optimization–have been planned and are in the works.
Think Software
According to Avnet, Think Software is an integrated set of tools and methodologies designed to help IBM-focused value-added reseller business partners in the U.S. and Canada increase solutions-based sales. By providing VARs with business planning resources to develop new and expand existing software business practices, Avnet hopes to increase its need among providers of IT to SMBs.
“Software plays a critical role in enabling partners to develop complete solutions that address their customers’ business needs,” says Brad Wilson, vice president of software sales at Avnet, Americas, IBM Solutions group. “We’ll work hand-in-hand with our partners to help them determine the opportunities that exist in the software market and implement comprehensive strategies to capitalize on those opportunities.”
Through Think Software, Avnet provides partners with a comprehensive analysis of IBM software opportunities, related investment requirements–such as certifications and return on investment potential in expanding their software practices.
Additionally, Avnet says its partners can benefit from the programs:
- Think Strategy–Avnet says it will work with the partner to create a detailed, strategic business development plan mapped to the partner’s specific software business goals.
- Think Skills–This Web-based tool will help partners build and manage a certification roadmap. It will allow partners to easily determine the skills required to reach their software business goals.
- Think Sales–Avnet and IBM will provide partners with detailed marketing collateral designed to assist partners in minimizing the time and cost to generate leads.
- Think Portfolio–This tool is designed to assist partners in maximizing annuity revenue by helping them manage renewals and upgrade opportunities within their install base.
“Demand-Generation” Events
Avnet’s new Road2 Security and Road2 Information Optimization events are designed to enable Avnet’s IBM value-added reseller (VAR) business partners in the U.S. and Canada to make connections with end users and secure new business leads in the security and storage markets.
“The Road2 events present a tremendous opportunity for our partners to get in front of new customers, while reducing the amount of their own time and resources required to manage events of this caliber,” says Mark Martin, vice president of product marketing for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, IBM Solutions group.
The one-day events, managed by Avnet on behalf of their partners, aim to help VARs establish relationships with new customers and detail how technology solutions address a variety of end-user business challenges.
The events feature insights from industry leaders, such as Asa Hutchinson–the first U.S. undersecretary of Homeland Security. Additionally, the events include applicable market trend information developed through Avnet’s solutions practices, such as Avnet VirtualPath, Avnet SecurePath, and Avnet StoragePath.
