IBM Assembling Tivoli Partner Committee

Conceived about two months ago, the Tivoli Business Partner Steering Committee is still in the process of being created, said Mike Gerentine, worldwide director of channel strategy for IBM Tivoli, Armonk, N.Y.

Once formed, the steering committee will consist of 12 to 15 geographically dispersed, domestic IBM channel partners, representing "the three pillars" of Tivoli-- storage, automation and security, Gerentine said. No deadline has been set for finalizing the committee, he added.

Committee members will work with IBM through one-on-one interviews concerning channel feedback on Tivoli products and services, according to Gerentine. They also will participate in annual face-to-face meetings and group forums regarding Tivoli issues and provide opinions on Tivoli pricing models, product serviceability, new product concepts and other areas, he said.

"We didn't announce it, since it was more of a private program," Gerentine said. "We're not going to do it with hundreds of partners, but rather just a few select ones. And we will use them in a validation and consulting capacity to evaluate product plans early on during the concept stage."