Why Partnership Is Critical for Business and Technology Transformation #SMACtalk Live from #IBMPWLC

Why Partnership Is Critical for Business and Technology Transformation

In this episode, live from IBM Partner World 2015 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Brian and I explore the role of partnership in the business and technology ecosystem.

The word partnership has a way of being used to describe many relationships; all of which are not partnerships. 

In order for a partnership in life, business or technology to truly be a partnership, the relationship has to have a reciprocity by which all parties put the mutual success ahead of the individual success of any of the individual pieces. 

Putting Business Objectives First

The first piece of the puzzle for successful partnerships is to recognize that putting business objectives first is the key. 

While every business on the planet has a need for technology, that doesn’t mean that every business is a technology company. So for most companies, they need a partnership or perhaps better yet partnerships to help them uncover the various aspects of their business such as their CRM, Project Management, Inventory or other critical business applications. 

To truly deliver “Partner” value it comes down to more than just knowing technology, but knowing the business objectives of your partners and helping them achieve it. 

Technology: A Ripe Environment For Partnerships

The one thing that is for certain is companies are overwhelmingly looking for ways to put social, mobile, big data, cloud and more to work to help them drive better outcomes. As I mentioned, most companies aren’t tech companies so this means they need help, they need expertise, but perhaps most importantly they need partners. 

As we move into the remainder of this week at Partner World, we look forward to understanding how companies can tie a neat bow around trust, business, partnership and leadership to help customers leverage technology to meet their most important goals whether an improved bottom line or greater customer satisfaction. 

Look out for more from us here on #SMACtalk from IBM Partner World 2015…Thanks as always for tuning in. 

This post was brought to you by IBM for Midsize Business and opinions are my own. To read more on this topic, visit IBM’s Midsize Insider. Dedicated to providing businesses with expertise, solutions and tools that are specific to small and midsized companies, the Midsize Business program provides businesses with the materials and knowledge they need to become engines of a smarter planet.