Computacenter takes on more IBM products

Computacenter is expanding into new areas of its partner Biggish Blue’s product portfolio.

The pair have been working together since the 1980s but it seems that Computacentre had a look at IBM’s portfolio in areas such as AI, automation and observability solutions and thought it wants some of that.

Computacenter’s director of solutions, John Beard, said the company had been putting a lot of time, energy and effort into the relationships with the public cloud providers, and modernising its “go-to market” around cloud platforms.

IBM spinning out its managed infrastructure services unit, now named Kyndryl, into a new unit last year was a factor in making the new partnership possible, Beard said.

The first half of 2022 will see Computacenter and IBM build on its core existing business, in helping customers realise value from the software they’ve already procured. But the second half of the year will see Computacenter branch out into new areas of IBM’s portfolio including automation, AI and observability solutions.

IBM’s UK and Ireland VP of ecosystem, Andrew Wilcock, said his firm will provide Computacenter with support through technical skills and expertise as well as bring sales teams together from both sides to work on new opportunities.

“Computacenter will still continue to work with other vendors and IBM will still continue to work with other partners, but this is a statement of intent on how we can complement each other and how do can do more with our existing clients and attract new clients together”, he said.