Coalition Building: Bringing Partners Together

Digital transformation is a goal for any organization. Getting there, however, is often a challenge and requires many pieces to fit together in a puzzle. Many digitization projects never make it to fruition, and that’s something Intel wants to change for its customers.

In this episode of To the Edge and Beyond, Host Tanya Pelletier, Multi-Industry Acceleration Director for Intel, discusses the company’s coalition-building initiatives with Multi-Acceleration Managers Janine Davison and Jodie Frew.

First, Frew defines coalition in terms of Intel. “It’s bringing partners together with unique skillsets to develop industry solutions. It’s the coordination of efforts to address business challenges, including hardware, software, aggregation, system integration, and sometimes the cloud.”

The idea of coalitions and their role in digital transformation is critical. Davison explains, “Digitization is difficult. What often happens is that many projects never go beyond the business case and are in pilot purgatory. The ecosystem makes it easier for end customers to go from the dream to reality.”

Flying solo on these projects often wastes time, effort, and investment. Coalition building is a clearer path toward developing a solution and scaling it. The Intel program involves four key principles: customer value, thought leadership and collaboration, increased market footprint, and effective ecosystem partnerships.

Frew adds that success in coalition building comes down to “understanding the industry challenge and putting in place to find a solution.”

This power of partnership also provides value to each individual stakeholder. Davison explained, “Coming into the coalition, everyone has their expertise, and synergies from the expertise emerge. From the bigger perspective, new doors of opportunity open for entering new markets and revenue streams.”

With partners working together, there is the concern of competition. However, Pelletier says, “It’s not an either-or and requires a new mindset to compete and collaborate.” She references examples like Apple and Samsung and Ford and GM working together.

The focus for Intel is on the ecosystem and the value it can bring. “From Intel’s perspective, it’s the evolution of the ecosystem of what we’ve been doing. It’s part of our DNA, and the success of our partners has always been paramount,” Davison states.

Frew agrees it’s a continuous journey, and at this stage, the industry of IoT needs an industry coalition for organizations to be able to implement and drive business solutions at scale.

Subscribe to this channel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts to hear more from the Intel Network and Edge Solutions Group.

Learn more about coalition building by connecting with Tanya Pelletier, Janine Davison, and Jodie Frew on LinkedIn.

Find more information on these coalition partnerships by visiting the Intel® Solutions Marketplace.