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How IBM Launched Cloud-ready Network & Systems Management

by Choosing

JEFF COTRUPE

Three Key Takeaways

1. The problems IBM faced in launching its Cloud-ready enterprise IT management solution suite

2. How it solved that problem through a six-figure consulting project with Jeff Cotrupe’s employer

3. Results thus far

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New Product Line or Multi-headed Monster?

Flagship product line; no stumbles Multifaceted (some would say complex) product line, including:

– Systems Director core platform– Big Data: storage control– Big Data: virtualization management– Energy management– Integrated Service Management (ISM)– Systems Director optimizes: user experience– Systems Director: optimizes: deployed workloads– Systems Director optimizes: systems management– Systems Director: various Editions

“Boggle the mind” product complexity: an IBM hallmark

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Our Plan, Implemented

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Branding and buzz– NEEDED: humanize brand and products; create buzz– DELIVERED: 13-part IBM Systems Director “reporter-on-the-street”

interviews conducted (with no notice to adjacent employees/partners) at IBM’s own Pulse annual extravaganza (Las Vegas)

http://youtube.com/stratecast

Product line mesh– NEEDED: many values = single core value:

each component offers unique benefits, but all had to tie back to core platform

– DELIVERED: Integrated-yet-standalone branding and messaging: each piece stands on its own, yet all work in harmony

Perception is reality: unified messagingequals (or at least feels like) unified product line

Our Plan, Implemented (continued)

Stand and deliver– NEEDED: third-party tacit endorsement

via analyst presence at podium and in media

– DELIVERED: Jeff Cotrupe Embargoed news release and series of

media interviews (both with most-trusted editors only) prelaunch

Keynote at IBM Pulse Webcast two weeks post-launch to flesh out the story

“Put that in writing”– NEEDED: non-analyst-branded content to populate Web content, sales

pitches, and sales collateral– DELIVERED:

All Web content, launch landing page http://tinyurl.com/77a5ez4 All product datasheets at same URL Cross-promotion of webcast at same URL

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Results thus far

Result$ not released (of course), however…– Our leading Q: “Cloud solutions overall hovering at 15% takeup”

IBM response: “not quite double that” (among existing network and systems management customer base)

Thousands of media pickups– News release– Pulse activity– Webcast

25+ verified media-created “story built around” original pieces Hundreds of thousands of dollars in follow-on business for Stratecast

and Frost & Sullivan in this topic area– IBM directly– IBM Smarter Computing Partners

Enhanced credibility for both IBM and Stratecast | Frost & Sullivan

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A Web’s worth of samples, starting here…

JEFF COTRUPEjeffcotrupe@cox.net

+1 760 643 0921 Skype: jeffcotrupePortfolio Blog Allsocial1place

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