IBM   Shop Support Downloads
Home Products Consulting Industries News About IBM

IBM Launches New Era in Developer Relations

___Vast Array of Developer Offerings, Services Highlight IBM Technical Developer Conference

Las Vegas, NV -- August 15, 2000 -- Setting new standards in support of application developers, IBM today announced new programs creating the broadest, deepest range of services available to help developers bring software products to market faster and with less risk, to meet the exploding demands of e-business.

Developers of all kinds, including independent software vendors (ISVs), application service providers (ASPs), and "Internet generation" entrepreneurs (NetGens) will benefit from these new enriched features. IBM unveiled them at its largest ever event for software developers, "Solutions, the IBM Technical Developer Conference," which opened here today.

"IBM has the most complete developer support in the industry," said Bob Timpson, General Manager, IBM Developer Relations. "We address every part of the business equation. These expanded developer programs reflect our increasing commitment to provide developers with the tools, resources and partner support they need to succeed in a rapidly expanding e-business marketplace."

IBM now spends more than $600 million on its comprehensive worldwide developer program. IBM has a range of offerings covering the four primary needs of developers: porting/enablement, education/communication, technical support, and go-to-market.

Highlights of the IBM conference announcements include:

IBM Products and Offerings News***

  • WebSphere news including, a Developer Domain on the Web offering free software and technical information, WebSphere/Domino Package, and WebSphere Host Integration.
  • IBM makes e-business pattern blueprints freely available.
  • IBM expands e-business education and certification programs with new partnerships
  • A licensing program for emerging technologies available through IBM alphaWorks*, and expanded
    international content on IBM developerWorks*
  • IBM expands Linux-ready portfolio; donates software to open source community
  • IBM furthers integration of AS/400e and Netfinity Servers
    ***See press kit for details

    IBM PartnerWorld for Developers News

  • Strategic Alliance News
  • DeveloperToolbox* enhancements
  • Member Value Offerings*
  • Co-marketing program support

    IBM PartnerWorld for Developers

    Alliances/Go-to-Market

    Several new go-to-market programs are available through IBM PartnerWorld for Developers.
  • Strategic alliance agreements with leading application providers.
  • Nearly 30,000 partner applications promoted online via the IBM Global Solutions Directory
  • Open links to help foster relations among 22,000 IBM Business Partners online through Business Partner Connections .

    As part of the company's aggressive go-to-market effort, IBM has signed strategic alliance agreements with more than 30 leading developers targeting specific industries or solution areas, including prominent names such as Siebel Systems, i2, Ariba, Vignette and PeopleSoft within the past year. Other companies with leading marketshare and customer satisfaction such as Geac, Mercury Scheduling and BackWeb have also signed these detailed agreements with IBM.

    Under these terms, developers gain the competitive advantage of IBM's global reach, marketing resources and customer base. Meanwhile, developers build applications on IBM's industry-leading middleware and hardware to assemble the most powerful, and widely implementable, customer solutions that generate real revenue growth for both partners. Negotiations are ongoing with additional partners and new alliances will be announced shortly.

    IBM has extensive sales and marketing teams and channels worldwide, now being linked with leading business partner offerings. New marketing resources include Internet-based tools and educational offerings designed to help members create marketing plans, improve lead generation, and learn to sell IBM solutions through specific channels.

    Enablement/Porting

    IBM provides extensive resources, including:
  • 32 enablement centers worldwide where over 2,000 developer applications are ported, tested and enabled per year.
  • 15 Solution Partnership Centers introducing new support for various initiatives including Pervasive Computing, Application service Providers and Startups.
  • Two new pervasive computing centers in Hursley, UK, and San Mateo, CA
  • 10 new Startup Studios to help kick start developer entrepreneurs
  • 7 new IBM ASP Prime Center locations to help developers prepare their solutions for Web hosting
  • Increased support for Linux
  • New remote Netfinity* ServerProven* validation

    Technical Support

    IBM's Industry-leading technical support programs include:
  • A 90-CD-ROM Developer Toolbox library of e-business enabling technologies:
    Developer Toolbox is now available to all 50,000 members of PartnerWorld for Developers. The new service is a worldwide, multilevel subscription program offering with streamlined access to IBM e-business tools, Java tools, software servers, information and technology via the Web.
  • Online library of frequently asked questions with millions of hits per month.
  • TechTalk for Developers offers online support as needed via the Web for all PartnerWorld for Developers members.
  • Individual support as needed including 15,000 consulting engagements per year.
  • IBM is announcing Member Value Offerings available via PartnerWorld for Developers, giving members access to comprehensive marketing and technical resources. These packaged options include: technical support for AS/400*, Web servers (RS/6000* and NUMA Q*), S/390*, middleware and tools for developing across 14 IBM platforms; the Solution Partnership Center option featuring priority enablement, porting and consultations.

    The Software and Services Option will include discounts for developers through IBM Software Mall; market research, marketing collateral templates, articles, and planning guides; conferencing services; and integration starter kits for e-busines and the IBM Developer ToolBox* Enterprise CD subscription. In addition, Advanced and Premier members can choose Value Packages that include enterprise-level, unlimited technical support for IBM middleware; priority Solution Partnership Center enablements and consulting; deep hardware and software discounts, and a variety of other resources. Pricing as well as details on how developers can earn these Value Offerings will be announced this fall.

    Communications/Education

    In this area, IBM has created highly rated learning programs and popular Web portals:
  • 2,600 IBM professionals dedicated to developer support
  • 10,000 e-business webcast attendees year-to-date
  • More than 250 educational sessions at Solutions: The IBM Technical Developer Conference
  • More than 100 certification examinations at Solutions.
  • A portal - developer Works - that has grown in one year to one of the most popular developer sites on the Web with an audience in the millions.

    developerWorks and alphaWorks

    developerWorks (www.ibm.com/developerWorks), IBM's free online collection of content and resources, assists software developers who want to build better software by using open standards. developerWorks is one of the most comprehensive online sources for tools, tips and tutorials on Linux, Java, XML and more, harnessing information from across the industry. Startup Resources is developerWorks' newest section designed to help technical entrepreneurs kick start their businesses with content, products and services. With more than one million registered users viewing over 6 million pages per month, developerWorks' has quickly grown into one of the most popular developer sites on the Web.

    alphaWorks (www.alphaWorks.ibm.com), part of developerWorks, speeds IBM emerging technology into the marketplace. IBM's alphaWorks is responding to requests by its early-adopter developer community by creating a new Web-based, self-service licensing model. alphaWorks will allow virtually any individual or business -- Internet generation developers, startups and corporations -- to purchase commercial licenses for emerging research technologies from IBM for prices starting at just $1,000. Six alpha technologies are currently available for licensing and more than 40 more are expected in the near future. Technologies that become part of an IBM product will have technical support while pre-product technologies will be licensed "as is."

    About IBM Developer Relations

    Software developers receive support through PartnerWorld for Developers (www.developer.ibm.com) - a worldwide program designed to help them reach broader markets, lower their costs of doing business, and take their products to market faster. It focuses on leading-edge technologies that enable developers to deliver complete e-business solutions to their customers.
    ###



    * Indicates trademark or registered trademark of IBM Corporation.
    ** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of respective companies.


    Back