We technophiles easily forget that partnerships are more about relationships than interconnecting parts. In Asia the importance of relationships is even more important. It is often the primary criterion for making business decisions. On numerous occasions I know of Asian businesses choosing to stay with their trusted advisor as he moves between fierce competitors. The message is clear: its more important to trust who you are buying from than getting the perfect deal.
To that end the director of EMC’s executive briefing center (EBC), John Clifford, today brought together the respective teams from VMware and EMC in southeast Asia. This was one of many things we are doing to build our partnership. The visit included the entire ASEAN VMware team and the entire southeast Asian vSpecialist organization, as well as several APJ-wide people that support their efforts.