Gartner                                                                                                                                                                          Dataquest

Publication Date:

27 February 2007                                                                                                                                                                                        

ID Number: G00146172

Dataquest Insight: Associations and Consortia

Developed to Support the IT Channel, 2007

Tiffani Bova

1.1 Success Group International

There are many ways in which these groups assist their members with bettering their business and improving their ability to serve the end customer. The nature of reselling technology begins with the original purchase from either the manufacturer or a distributor, and then to selling it to the ultimate consumer of that technology solution. Yet, choosing which technology, or which manufacturer's products one should use, can be overwhelming and result in less-than-optimal solutions for clients if they are not constantly evaluating their offerings.

In any given week, channel players can be contacted (welcome or unwelcome) in some form or fashion (e-mail, phone, fax or face-to-face visit) by dozens of IT companies trying to get them to join their partner program and resell their products or services. The navigation through all these contacts and managing the recruitment process is a well-known pain point within channel organizations, and is an area that Gartner believes should become more efficient.

Success Group International (SGI) was created to minimize this issue. SGI provides a revolutionary new concept for the technology industry by creating a virtual "business agent" on behalf of partners, minimizing the amount of time and effort channel players need to devote to identifying and selecting new products, services and vendors to partner with. SGI's deep understanding of its members’ business needs and models allows vendors to work closely with SGI (on behalf of the partners) in  developing strong go-to-market activities, including revenue goals and business planning sessions. Taking these administrative functions off the plate of management allows their members the opportunity to focus on selling and building a profitable business, rather than spending their time dealing with the sheer number of vendor and partner solicitations they face

with every day.

This business agent model may, in fact, open the door to vendors and/or products that might otherwise have been overlooked based on lack of time, resources and focus on the part of a partner. Members are more willing to look at new opportunities when they have been "pre-qualified" to their specific business, customer base and future growth requirements. Major IT companies, such as IBM, Mainline Information Systems, MSI, Extol and Microsoft work closely with SGI to enhance their relationships with its 80-member community in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia/Pacific.

This type of business agent model is not only benefiting the selling side of the channel (VARs, systems integrators and ISVs), it is also benefiting the IT vendors and their ability to partner with those companies, which are most attractive to their growth efforts. The partner agent is responsible for meeting with and negotiating on behalf of the partner, ensuring that all parties have a clear set of expectations. This type of model allows the channel to rapidly expand its sales efforts, open new global markets and accelerate the process of partnering without all the

previously required activities.

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