Strategic alliances are a core model of business for today’s Independent Software Vendors (ISV). They extend the footprint of your products, expand addressable markets, and increase visibility by opening entirely new go-to-market pathways.
Beginning in the 1980s, the strategic alliances approach increased dramatically in popularity as companies sought to gain any advantage they could. Today, this model has matured from a focus on quantity to a focus on quality and accountability.
At the height of the DOT.COM boom, alliance programs were valued on a website’s logo and press release count. Today, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme, making sales leads, revenue and influence the ultimate yardstick for success.
Smart companies today make alliances a key component of their overall go-to-market strategy. But while there are great opportunities to be explored, there is also the potential for great distraction. Organizations are wise to carefully select and negotiate with only the most lucrative partners, or those who best serve growth targets and priorities.
True gains are measured by focusing more cohesively and intensely on a smaller, higher-quality stable of the most strategic partners.
Building and nurturing that stable requires an understanding of the value tree, and a pragmatic understanding of the relative value each party brings to the relationship. Organizations such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP are the slow-moving, much pursued and well-funded gorillas, and smaller organizations looking to leverage their brands or customerbases must first understand their position in the food chain. From there, they must be able to articulate what value they bring to the table, whether it be operational dexterity and innovation or vertical expertise and presence.
Get the guidance you need to be heard. Our services address a wide range of issues in alliance-building, from channel strategy and lead generation agreements to contract negotiations and issues of intellectual property. Over the past sixteen years we have observed unfruitful, dead-end alliances as well as deeply profound, profitable ones. We know what it takes to land you in the latter camp, earning the results you need to measure substantial growth.