Ibm (Vendor Analysis)

We are at the dawn of a new IBM - a company increasingly intent on integrating its traditionally disparate assets in a way that will deliver true business solutions, not just IT solutions. IBM aims to deliver these business solutions faster, more consistently, more reliably and, ideally, at lower total lifetime costs than competitive entries. It is working to achieve this integration through a combination of top-down and bottom-up integration initiatives that involve all its key operating groups - IBM Global Business Services, Software Group, Systems and Technology Group and Sales & Distribution.

IBM unveiled its new corporate message of 'innovation that matters' in the middle of 2006. This is gradually replacing the On Demand Business theme that IBM has been using in its corporate messaging for the last three years. We found this change of direction somewhat surprising as many other IT companies have already leapt onto the innovation bandwagon. There is no doubt that IBM's massive presence in the market (and advertising budget) means it can claim this position for itself, but so far this has not happened.

IBM is engaged in a major 'componentisation' of its software based on a standards-based, coherent programming model. With such diverse internal sources for its software products, coupled with its many significant acquisitions, there is considerable duplication of functionality and code throughout its software stack. The first fruit of this programme was the IBM Workplace Client technology (now part of the IBM WebSphere Portal), which is used as the framework for user-interface development across the whole IBM Software Group. There are now encouraging signs of the increasing use of Eclipse as another core component. As its software becomes more and more componentised, IBM is organising itself internally around development competencies that do not map simply onto IBM's five software brands. It's now time to replace the old brands with names more relevant to IBM's future rather than its past.