Tag: IBM


Reshaping the Software and Services Marketplace – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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11th June

In the old information technology (IT) world, systems integration and consulting companies flourished, helping enterprises of all sizes across nearly every industry pull together a plethora of proprietary systems from a wide array of software and technology vendors.

Despite the promises of the cloud, not much has changed. While there may be fewer pure-play proprietary systems and applications, the need to customize software solutions and integrate disparate databases has continued to grow.

So, it’s not surprising that the demand for IT services — including upfront consulting, systems integration and software development skills — also has escalated.

Yet, there are several important differences in today’s IT services requirements that set them apart from the demands and offerings of the past.

Click here to read THINKstrategies’ latest perspectives in E-Commerce Times regarding the changing nature of IT services and solutions in the cloud marketplace, and how … Read More »



Cloud Consulting Acquisitions to Accelerate – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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2nd October

In the past, traditional consultancies depended on large-scale IT and software development projects that could take years to complete for the bulk of their consulting revenues.

In today’s on-demand world, corporate executives and end users want quicker results at a far lower cost with much less risk. Acquiring a fast-growing cloud consultancy can inject new energy and provide new insights.

Read THINKstrategies’ perspectives about how these changing customer expectations are driving the latest round of Cloud consultancy acquisitions in E-Commerce Times.



Sandhill.com Q&A Uncovers THINKstrategies’ Origins & Business Evolution

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17th March

I’ve had the privilege of contributing THINKstrategies’ perspectives regarding key software and technology trends to Sandhill.com for many years, and the online publication has been a key supporter of our Cloud Innovators Summits. SandHill has been conducting a series of Q&A sessions profiling ‘thought’ leaders in the software industry and asked me to participate in the series. Click here to read my response to their questions about my 30+ years in the software and technology industry, the inspiration for THINKstrategies, the key influencers in my life and work, and other forces that have shaped THINKstrategies’ expanding business model over the past thirteen years. I hope you enjoy it and it helps you understand what drives me on a day-to-day basis.



Leading Industry Innovators and CIOs Speaking at Second Annual Cloud Analytics Summit

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11th March

Executives from AppFirst, Domo, Datadog, Indicee, Sailthru, SoftServe and Big Data Boston Ventures are the latest industry innovators who have agreed to speak at the second annual Cloud Analytics Summit on Thursday, May 2 in New York City.

These executives will join Jeanette Horan, IBM’s CIO; Bill Krivoshik, SVP/CIO at Time Warner; Michael Hickins, Senior Editor, Wall Street Journal CIO Journal; Stephen David Spears, SVP, Application, ADI & IT Management, SAP AG; and Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, Strategic Advisor and 37-year veteran at IBM, as speakers at the peer-to-peer networking event.

The Cloud Analytics Summit is a one-day, executive forum focused on the latest innovations which are enabling organizations of all sizes to address their Big Data, Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Integration challenges in the Cloud.

In addition to the leading innovators who are speaking at the Summit, a growing number of IT and corporate decision-makers from prominent businesses are also registering … Read More »



IBM’s Big Bet on Cloud Analytics – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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9th March

A growing number of established and emerging software and technology vendors are seeking to take advantage of the convergence of Big Data and the cloud. None has made a bigger bet than IBM. Since 2005, IBM has spent more than US$16 billion on 35 acquisitions to boost its analytics capabilities. The company is hoping that this investment will generate approximately $20 billion in annual sales analyzing business data by 2015 — a $4 billion jump from its current level.

The company isn’t being coy about its goals. Click here to read my views about IBM’s big bet on Cloud analytics. And, don’t forget to attend the Cloud Analytics Summit on Thursday, May 2 in NYC, hosted by THINKstrategies, the Cloud Computing Showplace and Rising Tide Media.



IBM CIO Jeanette Horan to Speak at Second Annual Cloud Analytics Summit, May 2 in NYC

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5th March

IBM’s CIO, Jeanette Horan, is the latest industry executive who has agreed to speak at the second annual Cloud Analytics Summit on Thursday, May 2 in New York City.

Ms. Horan’s organization supports IBM’s transformation agenda by ensuring that its technology strategy is aligned with its business objectives so the company can attain the goals established in IBM’s 2015 roadmap which include annual sales from analyzing business data of $20 billion in 2015. Since 2005, IBM has spent over $16 billion on 35 acquisitions to boost its analytics capabilities.

Ms. Horan was appointed CIO of IBM in May 2011. Previously she was the Vice President of Enterprise Business Transformation at IBM and was responsible for worldwide product development for the Information Management business in Software Group, and General Manager of IBM’s Silicon Valley Laboratory. Prior to joining IBM, Ms. Horan spent four years with Digital Equipment Corporation … Read More »



SAP AG Senior Vice President to Speak at Second Annual Cloud Analytics Summit, May 2 in NYC

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19th February

Stephen David Spears, Senior Vice President & General Manager of SAP AG’s Application, Development, Integration and IT Management Software Organization, will kickoff the second annual Cloud Analytics Summit, Thursday, May 2 at the Apella Conference Center in New York City.

The Cloud Analytics Summit is the first of the 2013 Cloud Innovators Summit executive forum series hosted by THINKstrategies, the Cloud Computing Showplace and Rising Tide Media. The series is aimed at helping corporate decision-makers better understand how they can leverage the latest Cloud innovations to achieve their business objectives. The second event of the Cloud Innovators Summit series will be the third annual Cloud Channel Summit on Monday, November 4 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

Stephen directs SAP’s solution strategy and manages a diverse portfolio of SAP and third-party software solutions sold through the SAP Database and Technology Sales organization on a global basis. Stephen has also served in many other executive management … Read More »



Salesforce.com Profitability Sparks Renewed Debate About SaaS Sustainability

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28th August

Despite the accelerating growth of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and growing interest in all things Cloud, skeptics are still seeing dark shadows which they think indicate fundamental flaws in the long-term prospects of on-demand services.

The most recent example was the controversy created by Salesforce.com’s most recent quarterly financial results. While the company’s revenues grew 34% and deferred revenues increased 43% on a year-over-year basis, the company still reported a second quarter (Q2) GAAP net loss per share of $0.07.

Although I tend to look at the world through ‘Cloud-colored’ glasses, I don’t think I’m being naive because I see these numbers as a outgrowth of a prudent strategic decision by Salesforce.com’s management to aggressively invest in winning a greater share of the high growth SaaS/Cloud market. In fact, Marc Benioff made the same point during a recent interview on Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money” show.

Like Benioff, SuccessFactors’ … Read More »



IBM Taking a Smarter Look at BI, Big Data and Data Integration

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28th March

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch the simulcast of IBM’s unveiling of its latest Smarter Analytics offerings aimed at helping organizations contend with their escalating ‘Big Data’ needs. I was particularly interested in this event because of THINKstrategies’ upcoming Cloud Analytics Summit which will examine this same topic.

IDC estimates enterprises will invest more than $120 billion to capture the business implications of their burgeoning internal and external data sources by acquiring a combination of analytics software, systems and services by 2015.

To say that IBM has made a ‘big bet’ on business intelligence (BI), big data and analytics would be an understatement. The company has acquired 28 companies focused on these areas since 2005, including Algorithmics, Coremetrics, DemandTec, Emptoris, i2, and Netezza. It has combined these assets with its internal staff to now boast over 9,000 business analytics and optimization … Read More »


IBM's Big Data Products VP to Speak at Cloud Analytics Summit

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22nd March

I’m pleased to announce that IBM’s Vice President of Big Data Products, Anjul Bhambhri, has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the Cloud Analytics Summit on Wednesday, April 25 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

The purpose of the Cloud Analytics Summit is to provide a forum for corporate decision-makers to learn about the latest Cloud solutions aimed at addressing their business intelligence (BI) and analytics needs, so they can harness their ‘Big Data’ sources, and integrate their systems and applications into a more productive enterprise-wide resource to satisfy their business requirements.

Anjul recently provided her perspective in Forbes about the growing importance of the Data Scientist in the business environment. At the Cloud Analytics Summit, she will discuss, “Smarter Decision-Making: Leverage Big Data to Gain New Actionable Insights”.

Prior to assuming her current responsibilities, Anjul was the Director of IBM Optim application and data life … Read More »





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