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A Look at the IBM Global Solutions Directory

This post is the last in a series on ISVs, service providers, the Dallas ISV Center offerings, PartnerWorld and the IBM Global Solutions Directory (GSD).

This post is the last is a series on ISVs, service providers, the Dallas ISV Center offerings, PartnerWorld and the IBM Global Solutions Directory (GSD), which I want to explore today.

About the Global Solutions Directory

When discussing the GSD, the term “solution” refers to all types of products and services provided by IBM business partners. Clients use the solution directory to find answers for their business challenges while IBM business partners use the solution directory as a showcase for their solutions. Solutions range from applications to implementation-oriented services, with many other types of solutions in between involving education, networking and system management.

What Does a Client Find in the Directory?

When you search the directory, you are given many flexible search options. You type in a keyword like “SAP” and indicate where to look for the keyword—using all text fields, company name or solution name. Below is an example searching for a SAP solution using the solution name option. Displayed is the first of 35 solutions.  

Here are a few other examples involving z/OS. Assume that we are interested in z/OS training but we start with a general search that’s refined over several iterations to get the specific results we want.

Keyword: z/OS within “all text fields”

For this search, we are looking for any solution with “z/OS” in the directory’s all text fields. This is a very broad search, resulting in 3,867 different solutions. Below is the first solution resulting from the search.

Keyword: z/OS within solution name

For this search, we are still looking for any solution with “z/OS” but we use the solutions name field for the search. This narrows the search but still results in 245 different solutions. Below is the first solution resulting from the search.

Keyword: z/OS training within “solution name”

For this search, we are still looking for any solution with “z/OS,” but we’re more narrowly focused on training. Using the solutions name field, the search results in 160 different solutions. The first solution resulting from the search is below.

This sequence of searches demonstrates the ability to get specific when searching the GSD. Now, let’s look at the partner aspects of the directory.

What Does a Partner Do to Get Started?

Business partners market their solutions and capabilities to a worldwide audience through the GSD. The first step in this work is to create one or more solutions to sell and deliver. How is this first step carried out?
 
Often, partners develop solutions, pilot them with clients and refine them until they are ready to offer what they have developed to a wider audience. Creating a detailed entry for a solution or capability in the GSD represents an important step in marketing with IBM. A partner’s entries in the directory becomes an integral part of IBM marketing programs, generating exposure with clients, other IBM business partners and the IBM sales network. The GSD is also where partners submit nominations for various PartnerWorld offerings such as technical validations.
 
The directory web page has support for partners to manage solutions and services, or they can navigate directly to:

  • Create and/or update a solution
  • Create and/or update a service
  • Nominate a solution for technical validation
  • Submit a solution for verification and/or client reference
  • View response cards

Recap of the 4-Part Series

Through a series of four posts, I have explored ISVs, service providers, the Dallas ISV Center offerings, PartnerWorld and the GSD. The goal was to explore each component of this business and technology ecosystem involving clients, partners and IBM. I hope you learned something new by reading about this network of components that all work together to help create something of value to all parties.

What’s Next?

Next week, I’ll start a new series on the 2019 ECC Conference, June 9-11, at Marist College in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York.