Enterprise software vendors and systems integrators are looking to form stronger relationships in order to meet customer needs, according to a new report released by research group IDC.
Based on anecdotal evidence collected during interviews with vendors, channels and end users, IDC senior analyst, Bharati Poorabia, claims that enterprise software vendors are choosing to form stronger relationships with systems integrators in order to build up a knowledge base of best practice solutions for specific industries.
Some vendors, IBM Corp. being one example, are also conducting internal restructuring to better serve target verticals.
Systems Integrators are also warming to the idea, according to IDC.
Poorabia said that service companies were seeking stronger relationships with their vendors due to the increasing complexity of applications. She also suggested that there had been a change in role for the traditional systems integrator.
“We have seen a dramatic shift in the role of systems integrators from being technology-driven, ensuring that they understand how complex and disparate IT systems work together, to understanding the complexity of business demands….,” Poorabia said.
The report also said that many enterprise software vendors had either announced or launched marketing campaigns that targeted the SMB market — again necessitating a wider role for the services channel.
“An increasing number of strategic business partnerships are being forged between the traditional suite application vendors and systems integrators, consulting companies and distribution channels to bring complete solutions to market,” Poorabia said.
“Winning bids are more often those for which IT services providers and product vendors walk into engagements hand in hand.”