Strategic Alliances

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Meet the Experts

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Steve White

Program Vice President, Channels and Alliances



IDC's Strategic Alliances is a role-based service that provides strategic alliance leaders and executives in the information technology market with the opportunity to drive innovation and better decision making through research, analyst engagement, and industry/peer collaboration. Through this service, members engage directly with other industry-leading alliance leaders in peer-to-peer problem-solving discussions, member-led research, and direct engagement with strategic alliance analysts to address vendors' specific needs. This council-led approach provides a unique experience in which alliance leaders can access the analyst resources of IDC, obtain timely research on participant-defined topics, work with other industry professionals to drive a common research agenda, and share best practices in areas that are important in the development of industry alliance practices and equally important to the executives of your business.


Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Strategic alliances industry trends and analysis
  • Industry predictions and effects on strategic alliances and ecosystems
  • Industry best practices related to strategic alliances and ecosystems
  • Benchmarking to compare industry progress
  • Alliance go-to-market best practices
  • Key alliance metrics, including alliance investment benchmarks and influenced revenue measurements
  • Trends and best practices in alliance operations, management, and development
  • Maximizing innovation through alliances and ecosystems to drive agile, timely, and cost-effective customer experiences

Core Research


  • Alliance Leadership Council Meeting Highlights
  • Alliance Best Practices and Benchmarking
  • Alliance and Ecosystem Trends and Notable Practices
  • Coverage of Partnering/Alliance Industry Events
  • Evolving Alliance KPIs/Metrics
  • Utilizing Alliances and Ecosystems to Maximize Cloud, AI, and Other Emerging Technology Investments
  • Alliance Ecosystems or the Role of Alliances in Overall Business Ecosystems
  • Vendor Profiles and Ecosystem Structures
  • Identification of Alliance Opportunities, Creation, Governance, and Life-Cycle Management
  • Being an Advocate and Trusted Advisor for Corporate Change
  • Current and Emerging Applications for Alliance and Ecosystem Professionals

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.


Key Questions Answered


  1. What are the ongoing market forces that affect how alliance executives shape the future direction of strategic alliances?
  2. What are the characteristics of successful alliances?
  3. How are companies investing in and resourcing their alliances?
  4. How do the alliance best practices of companies compare with one another?
  5. How do leading vendors evaluate the performance of individual alliances and programs?
  6. How can companies' alliance programs (or their approach to alliances) be improved?
  7. How can the industry work together to further improve the quality and performance of alliances as a business driver?

Companies Covered