At IBM`s Business Partner Software Group University - IBM`s Business Partner event - held on 6 March 2003 at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, Prescient Business Technologies (www.pbt.co.za) was recognised for their achievements in 2002 by being presented with the "The IBM Business Partner Top Contributor Initiative 2002" award.
IBM`s TCI program is for selected business partners who meet stringent qualification criteria and are able to provide business solutions based on IBM Software. Prescient Business Systems are an IBM Advanced Business Partner, focusing on Business Intelligence and Data Management Solutions based on IBM Middleware. This was awarded to Prescient based on their commitment to and active involvement with IBM and other Business partners. John Flanigan, Prescient`s IBM product manager, attended the event and received Presceint`s award.
The only other recipient was Safmarine Computer Services. The event was well attended by IBM`s Business Partners in Cape Town.
Tony Abrahall, Regional Manager for IBM Software Group, says that in the first year that Prescient have been enrolled in the program, they have shown tremendous commitment in providing customers with Business Intelligence Solutions based on IBM Middleware. As and Advanced IBM Partner, Prescient have access to IBM intellectual capital and best practices and are using the IBM Start Now Business Intelligence Solution to deliver accelerated value to their customers.
At the same event, IBM announced their Value Advantage Plus (VAP) programme, which is a new Business Partner incentive programme designed to focus more aggressively on services provision in the Small and Medium Business (SMB) market. Business Partners and their value-adding solutions must be approved by IBM according to criteria established for Value Advantage Plus. The approved participants are then eligible to earn Value Advantage Plus incentives on sales transactions to SMB customers when they include IBM software with their application or service offerings.
John Flanigan, Prescient`s IBM product manager, welcomed the new VAP program: "What IBM are wanting to encourage is for business partners to not just sell product, but to wrap up the product sell with value-adds in the form of services and implementations. With our strong drive to ensure that each bit of software sold becomes a reference implementation, this is exactly what we do, so this VAP suits us very well. IBM are trying to discourage the business partners that just take orders for software and do not add any value."
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