Stretching IT Budget Dollars: Part Three

Mark Waldrep
President
Datatrend Technologies, Inc.

In the previous issues of Trendsetter, I have reviewed concepts supportive of stretching IT dollars and creating structures that support acquisition methodologies that fit the needs of specific situations. This article continues with ideas of which clients in search of savings can take advantage.

Manufacturers Promotions and Rebates
Today, an unprecedented amount of manufacturer promotions and rebates exist solely for customers to save money. Certainly, business initiatives and specific projects dictate precise solutions and hitting the mark with specific hardware configurations, software, and skills. However, review of the given "mix" of products to be ordered can reveal additional savings.

The Datatrend website offers a review of all of the IBM promotions and rebates associated with software, pSeries, xSeries, and the IBM storage products family. IBM is interested in clients looking to "clothe" systems with features, software and/or financing. Many times, the key in determining whether one qualifies for an existing program lies in the investment of time to search through all of the offerings. Your next acquisition or solution set may qualify, but determining this with minimal effort can be challenging.

Datatrend’s Resource to Help
The best place to look with a consolidation of promotions aligned with the different product sets or IBM internal brands, that I can find, is the Datatrend website. We continually update and organize the IBM promotions so that clients can save the time it takes to sift through the applicable offerings.  To view the current IBM promotions, visit www.datatrend.com/library/promos.shtml.  The promotions fall into two general categories: additional discounts offered at the point of purchasing or leasing and rebates in the form of cash back to you within a specified time period after purchase.

Additional Features for Less
A common denominator in many of the promotions pertains to the combination of IBM products you are selecting (clothing).  In some cases, you may stumble into a case where your designed solution automatically qualifies for a bigger discount or a rebate. In other cases, you may ADD items to your order whereby the final net cost might be lower than had you not added the specific features to the total package.  IBM is creating incentives for you to try new products and solutions, meanwhile allowing you to save IT budget dollars

Many of the promotions have time windows that must be hit to qualify. The key is to know where to go to search for the promotions and rebates and to monitor the evolution of the IBM offerings periodically. Again, visit  www.datatrend.com periodically and take advantage of what you find. Also, utilize the Datatrend sales representatives.  They receive continual updates to stay knowledgeable and offer you the best for the least.  The money involved is significant.

Datatrend's TrendSetter eNewsletter
April 15, 2003