I am delighted to welcome you to the first edition of "SWG channel news". Firstly let me thank you for your contribution to the success of IBM SWG Business in 2007.  We look forward to another prosperous first half in 2008!

We, IBM SWG and our partners, grew the license business 37% yoy in the first half of 2007. More notably, 2007 was the largest channel revenue half year that we have ever had. Thank You ! Together we can continue to achieve this success in 2008. The second of 2007 was another record breaking growth performance which we achieved together, thanks to our strong partnerships and flawless execution.

I look forward to supporting you as we seize 2008 together.

So, as we continue on the acquisition trail and have made four exciting acquisition announcements in recent weeks i.e Watchfire, Telelogic, Princeton Softech and Datamirror. This represents further opportunities for growth and it is imperative you familiarise yourselves with these acquisitions and leverage them for growth. Central to our success is the availability of skills and skills development initiatives and I am committed to enhancing our support in this area. Please engage the channel team to discuss your technical needs.

Finally, please join me in welcoming Kevin Derman into the role of Channel Manager. Kevin brings a wealth of channel experience to the IBM SWG Team and I look forward to his success in the role.

This appointment further demonstrates my belief that there is significant value for the IBM SW business in the channel and I want to work with you to unlock this value. 

Good Luck selling in 2008.

Regards,

Zoaib Hoosen