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IBM to power Wii U processors

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 by jrajani

IBM announced it will provide the microprocessors that will serve as the heart of the new Wii U system from Nintendo. The gaming device was unveiled today at the E3 trade show, Nintendo plans for its new console to hit store shelves in 2012.

The all-new, Power-based microprocessor will pack some of IBM’s most advanced technology into an energy-saving silicon package that will power Nintendo’s brand new entertainment experience for consumers worldwide. IBM’s unique embedded DRAM, for example, is capable of feeding the multi-core processor large chunks of data to make for a smooth entertainment experience.

IBM plans to produce millions of chips for Nintendo featuring IBM Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology at 45 nanometers (45 billionths of a meter). The custom-designed chips will be made at IBM’s state-of-the-art 300mm semiconductor development and manufacturing facility in East Fishkill, N.Y.

IBM has powered Nintendo gaming systems since May 1999, when IBM was selected to design and manufacture the central microprocessor for the Nintendo GameCube system. Since 2006, the company has shipped more than 90 million chips for Nintendo Wii systems.

“IBM has been a terrific partner for many years. We truly value IBM’s commitment to support Nintendo in delivering an entirely new kind of gaming and entertainment experience for consumers around the world,” said Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director, Integrated Research and Development, at Nintendo Co., Ltd.

“We’re very proud to have delivered to Nintendo consistent technology advancements for three generations of entertainment consoles,” said Elmer Corbin, director, IBM’s custom chip business. “Our relationship with Nintendo underscores our unique position in the industry — how we work together with clients to help them leverage IBM technology, intellectual property and research to drive innovation into their own core products.”

Built on the open, scalable Power Architecture base, IBM custom processors exploit the performance and power advantages of proven silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The inherent advantages of the technology make it a superior choice for performance-driven applications that demand exceptional, power-efficient processing capability – from entertainment consoles to supercomputers.

Tags: ibm, Nintendo, power architecture, processors, Wii U
Posted in Company News, Devices | No Comments »

Mid-Size Businesses Increase IT Budget in 2011

Friday, January 14th, 2011 by jrajani

A recent study of midsized companies by KS&R Inc. found that more than half plan on increasing IT budgets over the next year and invest in analytics, cloud computing, collaboration, mobility and customer relationship solutions.

“The survey findings show that midsize firms are tackling a new set of opportunities to advance their role as engines of economic growth,” said Andy Monshaw, General Manager, IBM Midmarket. “When we spoke to midsize firms 18 months ago, most were focused on reducing costs and improving efficiencies. Today, the conversation is also about expanding their business, connecting with customers and gaining greater insights.”

“We’ve seen a boom in the number of midsize customers within the consumer products space who want to engage with us around analytics and cloud,” said Jay Hakami, President and CEO of Sky IT Group, an IBM Business Partner. “IT departments in midsize markets are adapting very fast to that fact that they must do much more with less. Companies are looking to quickly identify tools and efficient ways to support growth and innovation.”

Key points from the survey include:

53% of respondents expect their IT budgets to increase over the next 12 to 18 months, 31% expect they will remain unchanged and 16% think they will decrease or are unsure.

Security (63%), customer relationship management (62%) and analytics / information management (59%) were cited as their “Most Critical IT Priorities.”

75% plan to upgrade their core IT systems to improve performance, security and reliability.

Top expected benefits from cloud computing include cost reduction, better manageability of IT, improved system redundancy and availability.

To achieve their technology objectives, more than 70% plan to pursue a consultative (IT and business), versus purely transactional relationship with their primary IT provider.

Top barriers to IT adoption cited were cost, difficulty in acquiring and deploying technology solutions, and lack of IT skills and resources.

About the Study

“Inside the Midmarket: A 2011 Perspective” was commissioned by IBM and conducted independently by KS&R, Inc. The survey of 2,112 business and information technology decision makers at midsize businesses (100-1000 employees) spanned a variety of industries, including banking, retail, consumer products, wholesale, transportation, industrial products, and insurance. Participants hailed from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Poland, New Zealand and the Czech Republic. The study was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2010 to capture current and upcoming business and IT priorities and investment direction.

Source: IBM

Tags: budget increase, hardware, ibm
Posted in IT infrastructure | No Comments »

Consumers Want Retailers to Hear Them on Social Media

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 by jrajani

A recent survey by IBM of 30,000 consumers shows that while consumers are optimistic about the future they are going to use technology to determine the best place to shop based on searches and waiting longer for sales. Here’s what the survey found:

70% are positive about their income situation.
However, the shopping attitude is that frugality reigns. Their top three shopping attitudes are to only buy what they need, search for items on sale and wait longer to purchase.
49% of respondents were “instrumented consumers” – those who use two or more technologies, e.g. a website, mobile device or in-store kiosk to shop — a 36 percent increase since IBM’s last retail study a year ago.

In addition, consumers expect to be serviced and heard more often by retailers. They need to listen, know and empower consumers. The study found the following attitudes regarding technology and social media and it’s relationship to retail:

Listen: From Facebook to Twitter, to blogs, YouTube and reviews, shoppers are leveraging social media more than ever before to discuss retailers, products and brands with friends, family members and strangers. Retailers that listen to and participate in these conversations can obtain added insight into what customers want.

Know: While listening is important, a personalized shopping experience is still dominant in the mind of the consumer. By offering promotions on items they regularly buy and remembering things such as preferred payment methods and receipt types, retailers can increase spend and loyalty among shoppers.

Empower: Finally, retailers must empower consumers by making it as easy as possible to shop seamlessly across channels and letting them choose how to interact. Forty percent of the people we surveyed want to check product prices wherever they are and get promotions based on the items they scan, while 50 percent are willing to use a personal mobile device to avoid the checkout lane.

“As we’re finally starting to come out of a very painful recession, we’re seeing consumers who are finally optimistic about the future. This new attitude, however, doesn’t mean they’re rushing to stores and spending like the pre-recession heyday,” said Jill Puleri, IBM Global Industry Retail Executive, IBM Global Business Services. “Retailers need to personalize the shopping experience for consumers, using to technology to better understand and serve their consumer, if they want to win in this new environment.”

Tags: ibm, social media
Posted in social media | No Comments »

RIP Desktop Software

Friday, October 8th, 2010 by jrajani

IT professionals are looking at mobile and cloud computing as two platforms that will emerge as the hottest platforms for software development and IT delivery over the next five years according to survey results released by IBM. The 2010 IBM Tech Trends Survey was conducted online with results based on responses from 2,000 IT developers across 87 countries.

The survey results show 55% of IT professionals expect apps development for devices such as iPhone, Android and tablets will pass more traditional computing platforms by 2015. Industry analysts predict mobile application sales will have tremendous growth over the next 3 years and revenues expected to expand from $6.2 billion in 2010 to nearly $30 billion by 2013.

Additional results from the survey include:

91% anticipate cloud computing will overtake on-premise computing as the primary way organizations acquire IT over the next five years

Mobile and cloud computing are followed by social media, business analytics and industry-specific technologies as the hottest IT career opportunities beginning in 2011

90% believe it is important to possess vertical industry-specific skills for their jobs, yet 63 percent admit they are lacking the industry knowledge needed to remain competitive

Telecommunications, financial services, healthcare, and energy and utilities rank as the top four industries in which respondents identify as having the greatest opportunity to expand their careers.

“To best understand where enterprise technology is headed, one must pay attention to those who have a pulse on market demands – the developers and IT specialists responding to these demands and creating the next generation of business applications,” said Jim Corgel, general manager, IBM Independent Software Vendors and Developer Relations. “These survey results clearly demonstrate that IT professionals see a combination of disruptive technologies and industry-specific skills as key to driving near-term business growth.”

The online survey, conducted by IBM developerWorks of its eight million registered users in August and September 2010, includes responses from IT professionals with expertise in areas such as enterprise and web application development, system and network administration, and software testing and architecture.

Tags: Android, apps development, Cloud Computing, ibm, ipad, Mobile
Posted in Mobile | No Comments »

IBM and Mazda to Automate Car Purchasing Process on the Web

Friday, September 24th, 2010 by jrajani

Mazda and IBM are teaming up to provide an easier way to shop for cars on the web. The goal is to allow dealers to implement a web presence and respond to ever changing market demands within 15 minutes. IBM will allow dealers to access an easy to use template which they can use to create a branded and customized website which can list sales incentives, product descriptions and promotions along with links to social networking sites.

The technology is being delivered via the IBM WebSphere Commerce application, which can also manage customer request for scheduling cair repair and servicing online. IBM software connects to legacy systems for order creation and fulfillment in real-time through Mazda’s distribution center, automating what previously had to be done manually, reducing errors and ensuring timely delivery of custom parts and accessories. By linking to Mazda’s parts distribution centers, dealers can access an online catalog of more than 8,000 individual products that is continually updated by Mazda North America. The system is designed as a “just in time” inventory model that lets dealers reduce the number of items they need to keep in stock.

“Besides driving new sales and giving customers greater convenience in buying accessories and scheduling service, the strong online presence provides a solid link to Mazda’s corporate branding while advancing the dealership’s own identity at the regional and community levels,” said James DiMarzio, CIO of Mazda North American Operations.

Tags: ibm, Mazda, web development
Posted in internet | No Comments »

IBM to Make Another Analytics Acquisition

Monday, September 20th, 2010 by jrajani

IBM is set to acquire Netezza, a provider of analytics for data warehouse applications in a cash transaction of $27 per share or a net price of approximately $1.7 billion. The company will expand IBM’s business analytics projects and hopes to help clients gain effective insight into business transaction with faster performance. The deal is expected to close in the fourther quarter of this year after it passes appropriate regulatory channels and standard closing conditions.

Netezza appliances can be implemented seamlessly into the IT infrastructure and results in complex queries being processed 100 times faster than standard systems. Analytics can be used in every department including sales, marketing, product development and HR for identification of cost savings as well as employee productivity levels for a complete ROI analysis on a regular basis.

“IBM is bringing analytics to the masses. We continue to evolve our capabilities for systems integration, bringing together optimized hardware and software, in response to increasing demand for technology that delivers true business value. Netezza is a perfect example of this approach,” said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive, IBM Software and Systems. “Netezza strongly complements our business analytics capabilities and client base. Together, we have the opportunity to quickly leverage the technology and accelerate the offering.”

Netezza is deployed across various industries and clients include, eHarmony, eHarmony, Neiman Marcus, Time Warner, Estee Lauder, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, United HealthGroup, Nationwide Insurance, Sapporo, NYSE Euronext, Virgin Media and others.

“It’s no longer just the CIO — every single department from finance to marketing professionals is tapping into the capabilities of analytics to draw meaningful insights. But clients cannot sacrifice time, cost or performance by deploying solutions that do not best meet each of their business needs,” said Arvind Krishna, general manager, Information Management, IBM. “The addition of Netezza will reinforce IBM’s focus in understanding clients’ needs by providing them a broader set of analytics capabilities and bringing the power of analytics right into the hands of business users at every level within an organization.”

“Our vision of an appliance-based Intelligent Economy aligns very well with IBM’s Smarter Planet strategy. Netezza appliances set the standard for performance and simplicity in data warehousing and analytics,” said Jim Baum, President and CEO of Netezza. “Our customers choose our appliances for their fast time to value and how they simplify analytics against big data. Together with IBM, we are looking forward to extending our capabilities to a much broader market.”

NYSE Euronext deployed Netezza appliances in it’s enterprise infrastructure and found they were able to extract large historical data sets in seconds as compared to hours in the past. Virgin Media uses Netezza in its product marketing, revenue assurance and credit services departments to plan for pricing and tarrif changes and as a business intelligence tool to create competitive pricing for their consumers.

IBM has invested close to $12 billion in 23 analytics acquisitions in the last four years which resulted in a 14% growth of the analytics business in the second quarter of 2010. IBM intends to integrate Netezza within IBM’s Information Management software portfolio. Netezza has approximately 500 employees around the world.

Tags: analytics, ibm, IT infrastructure, Netezza
Posted in Company News, IT infrastructure | No Comments »

IBM Presents Real-Time Protection For Your IT Infrastructure

Monday, September 13th, 2010 by jrajani

Infosphere Guardium 8 is the latest in security protection from IBM, the software has been created to protect the enterprise from internal and external threats from unhappy employees and cyber cirminals. The system embeds itself into the IT system and ensures levels of security that meet government compliance standards.

A data breach can cost a company between $100 and $200 per compromised record according to industry estimates, Gardium 8 can be embedded inside several enterprise applications that can range from CRM, human resources, ERP to accounting, finance and related applications. The system offres a single set of contorls that are atuomated and includes a broad range of database and applications.

The system can protect the enterprise IT infrastructure in the following functional areas:

Fraud Protection for SAP Systems: From client data to ERP and personnel information, SAP systems often contain sensitive information that must be monitored for compliance and audit purposes. Now, businesses can detect fraud in real-time through the monitoring of all user activities at the application layer, including activities by administrators and outsourced personnel. The new release of InfoSphere Guardium provides more detailed information about SAP users, making it easier for businesses to detect fraudulent activities without making any changes to their databases or applications.

SAP Systems:

Administrators can detect fraud in real-time by monitoring all user activity in the system at the application layer which includes administrators and outsourced employees. Guardium gives detailed information on users in the system and makes it easier for for business to detect fraudulent activity without making major changes to the database or other parts of the software.

Sharepoint:

Guardium implementation in the infrastructure results in continuous real-time monitoring which results in alerts if files in the system are accessed with proper authorization. These alerts are key to protecting valuable intellectual property and business information for the enterprise.

Mainframe:

The software offers enhanced database activity monitoring capabilities for IBM DB2 databases running on System z, allowing businesses to protect critical information from unauthorized access by administrators. For example, if a database administrator at an insurance company tries to access a client’s social security number, salary and medical history, the system will immediately generate an alert for security and compliance personnel. The new version of InfoSphere Guardium 8 leverages IBM-developed mainframe technology to capture all database transactions with minimal performance impact.
Further, IT administrators can now setup a series of automated tests which assess security holes and permission issues in the IT infrastructure as a whole. These assessments can lead to a better understanding of the weaknesses in the system and security lapses can be patched accordingly.
Compliance and Auditing:

Guardium 8 allows businesses to have improved flexibility to define custom workflows and share specific audit information with relevant audiences in their organizations. Together with the software’s pre-packaged report templates for common regulations such as SOX, HIPAA and PCI, this capability will help businesses save time and money by significantly reducing time required to gather and report on compliance data required by auditors.
“From organized crime syndicates stealing credentials and hacking into databases to unauthorized access by employees, businesses are facing an overwhelming volume of sophisticated data security threats,” said Mike Gibbons, principal, Deloitte, a leading system integrator. “Organizations must now implement additional layers of security such as real-time database activity monitoring because traditional perimeter security approaches such as network firewalls and anti-virus systems are no longer sufficient.”

The security software has been installed in in more than 500 data centers worldwide, including 5 of the top 5 global banks; 4 of the top 6 insurers; 2 of the top 3 retailers; 20 of the world’s top telcos; top government agencies; the most recognized name in PCs; a top 3 auto maker; a top 3 aerospace company; and a leading supplier of business intelligence software. Guardium 8 is scheduled to be avialable in mid-september and is offered as a pre-configured appliance or virtual appliance for rapid deployment and simplified maintenance.

Tags: cybercrime, ibm, Security, trojans
Posted in IT infrastructure, Security | No Comments »

IBM Enters Chinese Healthcare Market

Friday, August 20th, 2010 by jrajani

IBM and Beijing Goodwill Information and Technology have released for the first time in China an all-in-one electronic cardiogram management system. The setup from this system allows hospital employees to analyze patient information from ECG (electrocardiography) reports in real time and helps detect cardiovascular diseases with increased accuracy. Doctos are also able to use mobile devices to monitor patients with heart problems.

This system is addressing the need for advanced healthcare information technology systems to help improve the management of ECG processes. For example, physicians are now able to deliver ECG tests and diagnoses by tapping into a databank of centralized ECG information available to them anywhere. Doctors can use mobile devices to access patient information such as a cardiogram report, and even view cardiogram images.

The cardiogram system enables physicians to centralize ECG records from multiple locations and allows for viewing of cardiogram images from mobile and remotely connected devices. Patient data is integrated in a centralized location so doctors, patients and insurers can share data seamlessly which reduces costs and leads to fewer mistakes and early detection of heart disease.

The system uses IBM analytics and DB2 database software as the technology backbone of the system. The software is compliant with XML standards, the data format of all other ECG systems, and international medical standards. Running on IBM System x server, it is optimized to ensure the flow of patient information for the entire ECG examination process.

“Together with IBM, our company is leveraging technology to address the number one disease in China and worldwide,” said Mr Xia Jun, President, Beijing Goodwill. “The new ECM system will benefit all physicians and patients by helping to improve the detection and management of cardiovascular diseases.”

IBM has opened a Healthcare Industry Solutions Lab in Beijing, where experts work with medical service providers to develop healthcare and medical systems. The company has deployed a global initiative to draw its expertise in system and information integration, services research, cloud computing, analytics and other emerging scientific areas to help physicians develop patient-centered healthcare systems.

Tags: healthcare, ibm, IT infrasturcure
Posted in Company News, IT infrastructure | No Comments »

Storwize Acquired by IBM to Help with Data Compression Techniques

Thursday, July 29th, 2010 by jrajani

IBM is adding data compression technology to its portfolio of IT infrastructure products through the acquisition of Storwize a privately held company that helps clients lower their data costs through data compression techinques. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2010 and financial terms were not disclosed.

Storwize has clients across various industries including energy, manufacturing, finance, insurance, telecommunications and cloud services. The storage technology deployed by Storwize is unique in that it can compress active data in real-time and maintain performance. This is a departure from other companies that offer compression solutions as their techniques can only be deployed on secondary and backup data. The company has developed techinques which allows it to store five times more data using same amount of storage which leads to lower power and cooling costs.

Compression shrinks data so files and databases take up less space. Storwize’s Random Access Compression Engine (RACE) is based on the industry-standard compression algorithm and uses Storwize’s patented technology for real-time data compression without any performance degradation.

“Real-time data compression helps address a significant client need—making it affordable to analyze and make sense of massive amounts of data in order to provide new services,” said Brian Truskowski, general manager, IBM System Storage and Networking. “By adding Storwize to our innovative portfolio of storage solutions, IBM is better equipped than ever to help clients handle growing quantities of data and make more of it available for analytics.”

“IBM has the strongest vision for the future direction of storage and we are pleased to become a part of that vision,” said Ed Walsh, CEO, Storwize. “Our customers will benefit significantly as our talented employees and innovative storage solutions merge with IBM’s world-wide reach in sales, service and research and development.”

Here are some key products from IBM that will implement compression solutions from Storwize:

ProtecTIER deduplication technology that can be used together with compression technology to significantly improve storage efficiency.

The XIV high-end disk storage architecture that provides the performance needed to make data quickly available for analysis.

IBM’s Scale-out Network Attached Storage (SONAS), invented by IBM Research to support multiple petabytes of storage in a single file system.

The IBM System Storage Easy Tier feature, which uses ongoing performance monitoring to move only the most active data to faster solid-state drives (SSDs) on IBM’s flagship DS8700 disk storage system.

The Storwize appliance will work with popular NAS systems, including IBM N series and SONAS, as well as non-IBM NAS systems from EMC, HP, NetApp and others. This acquisition continues IBM’s investment in real-time compression, which has been proven for DB2 and Informix to reduce the overall total cost of information ownership by up to 80%.

Tags: data compression, hardware, ibm, storwize
Posted in Company News, IT infrastructure | No Comments »

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