Business management


The channel and enterprise success Our channel partners are well-positioned to help bring TBM practices to enterprises, given their deep understanding of local markets and customer needs. Tey’re in tune with common pain points, from overspending on unused cloud capacity to a lack of alignment between IT investments and business goals. Tis is why strategic partnerships have always been at the heart of Apptio’s go- to-market approach, as their knowledge helps inform our product development, ensuring that we’re building solutions that address the real-world challenges customers face. Moreover, the value of partners isn’t confined to emerging


markets. Even in mature geographies, where vendors may have a substantial direct presence, channel partners remain critical. Teir ability to tailor offerings, integrate services and enhance the overall customer experience cannot be underestimated. Across our ecosystem, we see different types of partner models.


Some partners are deeply involved in the sales cycle, looking to gain margins on subscriptions. Others specialise in implementation and post-sale services. Both models are vital, and both are supported through our partner engagement strategies. Effective collaboration within the channel doesn’t happen by


chance; it requires thoughtful planning, regular engagement and the right talent. Te key to building productive relationships lies in understanding


each partner’s unique value proposition. Some partners prefer a co- selling model, where we lead with IBM or Apptio-branded materials and provide technical sales support, while they focus on delivering the solution. Others embed our solutions into their offerings, essentially white-labelling the value we provide to enhance their go- to-market approach. To support these diverse approaches, regular check-ins are


essential. Tis isn’t just about reviewing performance metrics, it’s about ensuring that both sides remain focused on goals, customer expectations and market trends. Tese conversations also serve as a feedback loop, helping us continuously refine our products and partner support resources. Just as important is ensuring we have the right staff


to manage these relationships. Channel management is a nuanced discipline that requires deep industry knowledge and a collaborative mindset. As our partner base expands, we continue to invest in dedicated personnel to support strategic accounts and foster long- term success. Our recent acquisition by IBM has greatly informed


these learnings. While Apptio has always worked closely with partners, the acquisition provided us with access to IBM’s mature partner infrastructure, resources and global reach. We’ve been able to scale up our partner programme in turn. A good example of this in practice is our collaboration


with EY, an existing partner of IBM. Trough the acquisition, we were able to initiate a conversation about how EY’s professional services and Apptio’s soſtware can help customers better evaluate the actual value of their tech spend. Te result was new solutions that reduced manual reporting, freed up capacity, and


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boosted decision-making capabilities across enterprise IT, helping organisations gain the right insights faster. Tis kind of outcome is only possible when trusted partners


bring their strengths together and share a unified vision of customer success. In the past 12 months alone, our ecosystem has grown to over 2,000 partners worldwide. Tat kind of expansion would have been challenging to achieve as an independent company.


The road ahead Looking ahead, one of our key areas of focus for 2025 is the Managed Services Provider (MSP) segment. Te aim of this programme is twofold: to provide partners with a


viable go-to-market model that drives revenue, and to enable end- customers, particularly those outside our traditional focus, to access our soſtware in more scalable, manageable ways. Historically, many of our solutions were best suited for large


organisations, but through automation and service-based delivery models, we’ve been able to support a more diverse range of enterprises. By consuming Apptio as a service via an MSP, smaller enterprises can still unlock the value of technology spend management without needing to build an internal FinOps function from scratch. Tis shiſt dramatically expands our total addressable market and


ensures that our partners have the tools they need to succeed in a more distributed and diverse customer landscape. Te channel will always be essential to technology distribution,


but its role is evolving. In today’s digital environment, understanding the cost and value of technology is more critical than ever. By investing in strong partnerships, aligning teams effectively, and


embracing new models like MSPs, we can better support customers on their transformation journeys and empower channel partners to thrive in the process. As we move further into 2025 and beyond, the most successful


players will be those who recognise that cost transparency is a mindset within an organisation and one that the channel is uniquely positioned to lead.


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