Fresche Targets IBM i Business Partners With New Channel Program

**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of August’s important channel-program changes you should know.**

Fresche, an application modernization and management provider, has launched its global Power Partner Program specifically for the IBM i Power System community.

The program creates a modernization and management network. It allows IBM i Business partners, VARs, ISVs, SIs and consultants to help customers move from legacy applications to new web, mobile, open source and cloud services.

Jennifer Fisher, Fresche’s vice president of worldwide channels and IBM, tells Channel Partners that one of the key findings while working with clients is that “they don’t understand their options, don’t know what can be done and think that modernization is out of reach because of costs.”

This is Montreal-based Fresche’s first partner program, she said. Fresche gained partners from companies it acquired, but had no program, dedicated channels team, partner portal or formal training program in place.{ad}

“With an estimated 150,000 IBM i customers around the world, we saw a tremendous need to grow the network of resources to educate and support IBM i users on the fact that there is value in modernization and solutions to fit every-size budget and need,” Fisher said. “In addition, business partners have longstanding relationships and have the ability to deliver value to their customers with the right tools, training and support through the program. Today, they are limited in what they can do based on what they have access to. We’re changing all of that.”

The new program offers: enhanced access to Fresche’s global application management and modernization suite; channel managers covering all regions in the world; global technical support; marketing support; co-marketing funds; a partner community portal; and multi-tier training and onboarding.

“There are (a) few key challenges that both IBM i Business partners and clients have shared with us,” Fisher said. “Those would be a local channel, local resources, access to global support, multi-tiered training and access to expertise knowledgeable in application management and modernization.”

With its recent acquisitions, including BCD and Quadrant Software, Fresche now has “one of the most comprehensive sets of tools and methodologies for improving client environments,” the company said.

“The acquisitions of Databorough, looksoftware and most recently BCD and Quadrant have certainly added tremendous growth to our IBM i portfolio,” Fisher said. “There is a growing need for clients to be able to leverage their investments to get more business value from their systems.  For example, the Quadrant and BCD acquisition has given us the ability to offer Open Source application development for PHP and node.js — helping our clients get to very modern and open computing environments on IBM i.”

“Today, there is increased interest from IBM i Business partners in providing clients with an IBM i operating environment with IBM Power Systems as the foundation for cloud-based services,” said Bruce Maule, vice president of worldwide systems and cloud channel marketing at IBM. “Creating a program such as this one will make it easier for these business partners to sell more IBM Power solutions and services that deliver superior cloud economics that are optimized in a security-rich environment, and adapt to changing business demands.”