06 December 2003

IBM GS � Another Step On the Road to Global Domination

IBM software and Global Services are going to be more closely aligned to better serve industry verticals (link to every newspaper and tech journal in the world.). Ever since IBMGS bought PwC Consulting it has (or was it always this way) been slowly ending its historical policy of being software / hardware agnostic. Sometime ago I believed that eventually this would eventually lead to IBMGS becoming just another services division of a large corporation. Well I was wrong. IBMGS is not just the 800lbs Gorilla it is the all encompassing Gorilla. Scott McNealy joked that of the $80bn that Bush requested to rebuild Iraq, 90% would go to IBMGS. Hate them if you must, but there is nothing else to do but work with them. They are after all the largest re-seller of Sun equipment.

What is more the convergence of telecom networks and IT will just add to their powerbase.

The only piece of news that cheered me from the announcement was the realization that for this strategy to succeed IBM Software is going to have to integrate a lot or 3rd party software to be able to build best-of-breed products. They cannot build it all in house though they do try. There will be space for ISV�s to build great products � as long as we understand that they will become a building block in someone else�s portfolio. My only concern is who do you sell to?

No comments:

06 December 2003

IBM GS � Another Step On the Road to Global Domination

IBM software and Global Services are going to be more closely aligned to better serve industry verticals (link to every newspaper and tech journal in the world.). Ever since IBMGS bought PwC Consulting it has (or was it always this way) been slowly ending its historical policy of being software / hardware agnostic. Sometime ago I believed that eventually this would eventually lead to IBMGS becoming just another services division of a large corporation. Well I was wrong. IBMGS is not just the 800lbs Gorilla it is the all encompassing Gorilla. Scott McNealy joked that of the $80bn that Bush requested to rebuild Iraq, 90% would go to IBMGS. Hate them if you must, but there is nothing else to do but work with them. They are after all the largest re-seller of Sun equipment.

What is more the convergence of telecom networks and IT will just add to their powerbase.

The only piece of news that cheered me from the announcement was the realization that for this strategy to succeed IBM Software is going to have to integrate a lot or 3rd party software to be able to build best-of-breed products. They cannot build it all in house though they do try. There will be space for ISV�s to build great products � as long as we understand that they will become a building block in someone else�s portfolio. My only concern is who do you sell to?

No comments: