New ventures gain from strong alliance
Although IBM looks set to create a stable of ventures that can either provide revenue, initiative, partners or a steady stream of buyers, new ventures will gain from being allied to such a successful player. When creating the NetGen initiative, IBM research found that new Internet companies often lacked the full basket of skills needed, and this is the gap they hope - along with their partners - to fill.
-Through its own worldwide e-business expertise, IBM has a compelling story for NetGens and a strong mix of carefully selected business partners - each bringing sound experience and local industry knowledge from with their area of expertise to help NetGens," Hreszczuk said.
Part of this research showed that small companies wanted to get into bed with corporations like IBM, but had no clue which department or person to speak to in the titanic organisation.
-We felt it was important to give them (start ups) a single portal access into IBM so they have a department to call," he said. As part of a global initiative there are 35 offices for start ups in the Asia Pacific region, with Sydney acting as Australian HQ. Through this network a company will have access to global partners.
A global outlook is very much part of what IBM is looking for in the start ups it is willing to incubate. -If a company does not have a global aspiration we are not that interesting in them, as typically the Australian market is not big enough," Hreszczuk said. The scheme will allow start ups from all around the globe to communicate to each other and other global partners of IBMs. This part of the initiative stems from IBM's belief that a global player will not succeed by being based in one location. -Having IBM helps attracts capital and gain access to markets quicker," they claim.
By being part of the scheme, start ups will be able to gain access to the knowledge bank that sits within the IBM. Already, the company claims to have passed on valuable knowledge. For example, Hreszczuk said that one company was able to learn that by spending 10 percent more on software development initially, it would make greater saving later on when it had to localise software for global roll-out.
