What is the IAMCP?

Identifying new partner-to-partner opportunities can be difficult on your own. Enter the IAMCP, a community of partners that helps one another find business. But what’s the easiest way to get involved, and what’s the commitment like?

In this episode of P2PNow, we’ll answer all these questions and more during this special IAMCP spotlight.

Transcript

Christian: The question for this episode is: What is the IAMCP?

Sam: I love that we’re speaking in acronyms. It makes things so “mysterious.” But what does that actually stand for?

Christian: IAMCP stands for the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (located online at IAMCP.org). The organization is not a Microsoft entity, but an association of Microsoft partners from around the world with the shared goal of supporting partner-to-partner business.

Sam: So…it’s a user group?

Christian: In some ways, yes, it functions like a user group. Regional chapters offer regular meetings with guest speakers or focused topics on things that are important to Microsoft partners. But the primary goal is to identify and support new partner-to-partner opportunities.

I co-founded the Seattle chapter of IAMCP a few years back and served as the president of the chapter for 3.5 years, and participated as a board member until leaving the state. I am now a member of the Utah chapter, but I interact with other members around the world.

Sam: One of the strengths of working within the Microsoft ecosystem is its massive, global partner network. But finding the right partners to work with can be difficult, especially if you’re regionally focused but have a customer with global needs.

So how is AvePoint involved with IAMCP?

Christian: There is no company-wide membership — the organization is made up of individuals. There are more than a dozen AvePoint personnel around the world who are members and participate in their regional chapters.

Within these chapter meetings, or user groups, people share their partner-to-partner needs and network with fellow members to solve those needs.

Sam: Have you found any success through these chapter meetings?

Christian: I have personally, yes. In fact, in one case I was approached by a salesperson with a leading competitor who had a customer for one of their products (for which we had a competing solution). 

But this customer had broader needs in an area where my company had an additional solution. We were able to work together in friendly coopetition to provide their customer with the missing piece.

Sam: This sounds like a great way for partners to make new connections, and extend their own reach. How do people get started?

Christian: They can sign up at IAMCP.org. There’s a small annual membership fee, after which they can associate with a regional chapter. If there is no chapter in your region, there’s an online chapter.

Once they’re a member, they can go through the membership list and connect with other partners as well as sign up for online and in-person events. And, of course, they can find my profile and connect with me.

Sam: Thank you so much for this overview, Christian. As always, to find out more about AvePoint’s Partner Program, visit www.avepoint.com/partners.

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