Q. What is the IBM Business Partner Locator (BPL)?

A. The IBM Business Partner Locator is a new application for Customers, IBM Business Partners and IBM to access our global ecosystem of Business Partners. It will replace the existing Business Partner Connections tool and supports both public and private Business Partner programs in 2010 through a web-based Business Partner profile search solution.

Q. Who can use it?

A. The IBM Business Partner Locator will be available for Customers, IBM Business Partners, PartnerWorld members and IBM employees.

Q. When will it be available?

A. The IBM Business Partner Locator launched worldwide, in English, on July 31, 2010. Enhancements & translation in 20 languages became available on August 31.

Q. What is new and different compared to Business Partner Connections?

A. IBM Business Partner Locator will be Customer facing, utilizing ibm.com design guidelines with linkage from the ibm.com home page.

A. The tool utilizes a new Google Maps mash-up interface with an adjustable "search by location" capability for enhanced usability.

A. Enhanced search criteria include skills, certifications and specialties.

A. Translated pages will include localized content including text, hero spot and links.

Q. In which languages is IBM Business Partner Locator available?

A. IBM Business Partner Locator is available in the following 20 local languages: Canadian French, Columbian Spanish, Czech, Danish, English, Finish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish.

Q. What is the value to users?

A. For Customers, the tool will simplify access to the global ecosystem of skilled IBM Business Partners (all types) and minimize confusion around which tool to use when searching for IBM Business Partners.

A. For IBM Business Partners, the tool will simplify identification and teaming with complementary Business Partners across the ecosystem. In addition, the tool enhances Customer visibility of local Business Partners with desired skill sets. Finally, the IBM Business Partner Locator minimizes risks associated with information sharing through a design emphasizing IBM Web and security requirements.

A. For team IBM, The IBM Business Partner Locator simplifies our ability to bring the right skills and solutions to Customers; it eliminates redundant tool costs, and strengthens our security around information sharing.

Q. How to assure my company is properly represented in Business Partner Locator?

A. The IBM Business Partner Locator draws information from your company profile in the PartnerWorld Profiling System (PPS). Companies can only be viewed if they have specified sharing preferences (in their PartnerWorld profile) allowing them to be searched by Customers and Business Partners alike. Company profile updates, if needed, must be made by the Primary Relationship Contact (PRC) or Authorized Profile Administrator (APA).

1. Go To: http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/partnertools/index.html.
2. Click on company name beside country enterprise, next page, click on "Marketing information".
3. There are two drop down boxes. Select "yes" on the box(s) reflecting the audiences with which you want to share your profile information.
4. Select "save" and allow 24 hours for replication.

Q. I have published my company information as outlined above but we are still not appearing in the BP Locator when I search on it. What might be the problem?

A. The Partner has not updated their PPS profile for each location. Each location profile must be updated within the past 25 months to appear in the Locator Tool otherwise the Partner will not be found.

Q. Who can update the company profile?

A. Only the Primary Relationship Contact (PRC) or authorized Profile Administrators (APAs) can update company information. They can also add or update employee information. If you need to update company or employee information go this link, http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/mem/manage/mem_update_profile.html

Q. What will happen to the existing Authorized Software Business Partner finder?

A. All users are now being directed to the new IBM Business Partner Locator.

Q. What will happen to the existing Business Partner Connections tool?

A. All users are now being directed to the new IBM Business Partner Locator.

Q. What does "Order" in the result window mean?

A. The order represents from a top to bottom those Business Partners that most closely fit the selection criteria selected in your search. For example, If a Business Partner is a member of a Specialty, is approved to Resell and is Premier level in PartnerWorld, they will surface higher in the order then a Business Partner not in a Specialty, yet also Premier.

Q. When I search I find Business Partners in the country I'm in, but why do I also find companies in other countries?

A. A Business Partner who is approved to market in the country you selected may also be approved to market (and be seen in search results) in other countries as well.

Q. From where does the information presented come?

A. See answer (chart) below:

Company Overview and contact info	Business Partner Profile
Areas of expertise (industries, solution areas, etc)
Certifications
Authorized products and services
Specialties and authorizations
Solutions	Global Solutions Directory

Q. How often is the information updated?

A. Daily

Q. Does this application utilize IBM Hardware and Software?

A. Yes. This application is hosted on a zLinux (zSeries hardware) and is built on Websphere Application Server (WAS).

Q. What determines that a Business Partner appears if I pick "Mid-Market Experience"?

A. If any of the applications in the GSD indicates use of an "Express" product, or customer size field is mid-market, the midmarket flag is set and the Business Partner listed.

Q. If I check on "Authorized Reseller" what does that mean?

A. Regardless of your other choices, only Business Partners that are approved to sell you the products within the groups you are looking for will show up in results. For example, software authorized as in Software Value Plus.

Q. I see a list of Business Partners, how can I see more information?

A. You can mouse over the Business Partners name in the list or one of the "stick pins" on the map and to the left will appear a summary. You can also click on the Business Partner name to surface detail, contact information, their website as well as the areas of expertise, certifications, authorizations, specialties and any solutions listed in the IBM Global Solutions Directory.

Q. Can I adjust the map once presented?

A. Yes you can "grab" the map and move it left, right, up or down. At the top left is a + and - symbol that you can use to zoom in or out.

Q. How does "Provide your location" work?

A. You can click on "Provide your location" and enter either a City, County/Province/Parish or Postal code to locate Business Partners nearest this location. Now Business Partners appear with the distance from your location in the list.

Q. I did that yet no Business Partners appeared. Why?

A. The location starts with a view of Business Partners in a radius of 50 miles or kilometers. By dragging the blue ball on the scale, you can widen the search. This can be very helpful in smaller countries where the best Business Partner may be just across the border.

Q. Do I need to key in the entire Business Partner name using search by "Company name"?

A. No. You can start keying in the Business Partners name and the tool will display matching Business Partners. For example, instead of keying in "Alpine Consulting Inc.", you just need to key "Alpine Con" and their three locations in the US will be returned.

Q. How to access Business Partner Locator tool with Mobil device?

A. The site is accessed using the IBM mobile site: http://m.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/bplocator