The company wants to attract 5,000 new partners in the next year, Donn Atkins, general manager of global business partners, said at PartnerWorld here.
Of that the North American target is 1,500 new partners.
Canada accounts for about 8 to 10 per cent of IBM’s North American channel, said Gary Issacs, director of business partners for IBM Canada.
That should mean it’s looking for an increase of about 130 partners, but Issacs doubts that number will be attained.
Issacs said IBM Canada typically adds about 70 or 80 new partners a year. It also loses the same number through attrition and de-authorizing partners that don’t meet IBM’s expectations.
“I would say that recruiting new partners isn’t our first priority,” said Issacs.
“Our first priority has been working with our existing partners (and) making sure their skills are up to date.”
There are approximately 1,500 IBM partners in Canada: 76 premier, 49 advanced, and the remainder are basic members.
“We’re not just looking to have thousands of people that have our logo,” said Issacs. “That’s why we’ve always had an emphasis on certification, education and understanding the technology.”
But unless IBM makes a bigger impression on some resellers and finds some strength in numbers, it could see itself overshadowed by other vendors, said Dan Hinchey, president of MicroAge Solutions, based in Edmonton.
“There’s over 300 Microsoft partners in Edmonton.
“I can count the number of IBM partners on one hand. It’s a mindshare game that IBM is not winning,” he said.
“That’s a key point for us in business planning: where are they going with software and how are they going to get mindshare?”
But Issacs argued that not all Canadian partners want to see their ranks swelled.