At InterConnect 2016, IBM announced a global strategic partnership with VMware. This unique partnership brings two industry giants together to deliver the next generation of hybrid cloud computing solutions. The partnership enables clients to easily embrace the cloud while preserving their existing investments and creating new business opportunities:

1. VMware customers have the ability to easily move workloads to IBM Cloud using a simple copy/paste process with no additional skills, shifting spend to OpEx in one day. They can quickly provision new (or scale existing) VMware workloads to the IBM Cloud. This helps companies retain the value of their existing VMware-based solutions while leveraging the growing footprint of IBM cloud data centers worldwide.
2. For IBM customers, the announcement means they can purchase the VMware software they need to power their deployments on IBM Cloud bare-metal servers in a flexible, cost-efficient way. Further, customers can easily deploy new (or scale existing) VMware technology-based workloads in the IBM Cloud—all while taking advantage of existing skill sets, tools and technologies our customers are already familiar with.

What is the value proposition for you and why should you consider becoming an IBM Business Partner?

The expanded IBM and VMware strategic partnership is a win-win scenario for both you as an IBM Business Partner and your clients! It’s simple to execute and every IBM channel route has a role:

Resellers: Grow customer revenue with your VMware skills to expand your customers’ environments into the cloud; revitalize dormant accounts facing CapEx and data center constraints; and drive incremental revenue around services covering VMware planning, workload optimization/placement, additional training and so on.

Independent Software Vendors/Managed and Cloud Service Providers: Use this new VMware capability to improve client service, leverage VMware on IBM Cloud for internal use cases like development and test, and extend unique workloads that run in VMware partitions to the cloud.

System Integrators: Leverage new VMware on IBM Cloud capability across consulting engagements for better optimization/management of workloads across on-premises and cloud environments, and enhance cloud migration and data center integration services internally for project management and solution development.

Call to action

1. Read the announcement for more details on the partnership
2. Review our FAQ sheet on the partnership to find answers to frequently asked questions

Learn more about the PartnerWorld Program by visiting the PartnerWorld portal ibm.com/partnerworld/go and if you aren't currently working with IBM, call 800-426-9990 to speak to a representative to discuss becoming an IBM Business Partner.