Why IBM launched an online marketplace

IBM Malaysia’s Managing Director Chong Chye Neo

(Marketingmagazine.com.my)- By: Malati Siniah

Staying true to its promise of delivering cutting edge technological solutions to its consumers, IBM has launched a new online service targeted at the B2B sector.

The new IBM marketplace is a single source to access nearly 200 of IBM’s offerings including Infrastructure (IaaS) and Development Platforms (PaaS), IBM Malaysia’s Managing Director Chong Chye Neo shared with MARKETING in an interview.

“You can do several things such as research product or service, compare prices, guided tours, take part in a trial, watch a demo or even interact with our
agents in real-time. “

The service according to Chong was targeted at developers, IT audiences and business leaders, who were increasingly moving online to search for new service options.

So why launch an online marketplace?

To Chong the digital revolution and the changing face of their buyers forced them to rethink their business strategies.

“Our findings indicated that 70% of the buyer journey is completed before the face-to-face engagement and 92% of buying decisions are influenced by digital peers. What’s even more telling is 46% of B2B buyers are Millennials.”

The rapid rise of digital marketplaces in nearly every industry has become a very powerful engine of disruption Chong shared. She added that when they built IBM’s new marketplace it was integral that the platform would grow according to their buyer’s needs.

“This platform is designed with delivering superior consumer experience through seamless navigation to ensure their self-service discovery journey is positive. Recommendations and proven use cases are incorporated in the journey as proof points for the purchasing decision.”

With the convergence between B2B and B2C buyers and the rise of millennial decision makers, Chong hopes that the new IBM Marketplace is able to fulfill an underserved need in the industry.

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