My experience working with business partners has been in the past that they are not (or were not a year ago) actually able to sell the software. How they were expected to help move seats was something of a mystery. I eventually had to sign up as a business partner myself just to get a desktop license for a client, but I still couldn't get them software.
The problem, as I see it, with IBM relying on the BPs to reach smaller targets is the past confusion created by IBM's consultants and sales reps who were out in the market directing small projects towards Websphere. How is a BP supposed to sell Notes when "IBM themselves don't recommend Notes for this" or that?
When IBM bought Notes, they acquired a technology BEST suited for small companies and it remains as such. (mail aside, which is better for large deployments than Exchange). Workflow, RAD, KM... small companies need it and I'm convinced Domino is the best solution for lots of in house applications. Why, then, does IBM (yourself apparently excluded) seem to not actively send this message anymore?
Or mybe I too am not paying enough attention, perhaps having become jaded from my expeirences.
Alan,
Thanks for directly addressing my gripe.
My experience working with business partners has been in the past that they are not (or were not a year ago) actually able to sell the software. How they were expected to help move seats was something of a mystery. I eventually had to sign up as a business partner myself just to get a desktop license for a client, but I still couldn't get them software.
The problem, as I see it, with IBM relying on the BPs to reach smaller targets is the past confusion created by IBM's consultants and sales reps who were out in the market directing small projects towards Websphere. How is a BP supposed to sell Notes when "IBM themselves don't recommend Notes for this" or that?
When IBM bought Notes, they acquired a technology BEST suited for small companies and it remains as such. (mail aside, which is better for large deployments than Exchange). Workflow, RAD, KM... small companies need it and I'm convinced Domino is the best solution for lots of in house applications. Why, then, does IBM (yourself apparently excluded) seem to not actively send this message anymore?
Or mybe I too am not paying enough attention, perhaps having become jaded from my expeirences.