IBM empowers SMEs with new products

CEBU, Philippines - Information Technology solutions giant IBM recently rolled out its latest products in Cebu specifically designed to help companies endure the challenges of a growing competition at the same time minimize overhead costs.IBM recently brought the Global Lotusphere Conference to Cebu as it launched its collaboration initiatives for cloud, mobile, consulting, and social software blueprint to increase the speed of business.

With this smart system IT solutions offered to companies, especially the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs), IBM expects to help these companies endure the challenges of stiff competition, as well as reduce cost in doing business.

IBM announced a range of new collaboration initiatives to innovate and expand access to collaboration technologies that would help businesses reduce costs, connect people and information, improve employee efficiency and foster new business opportunities.

During the recently held “Global Lotusphere Conference” held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, John Mullins, business unit executive for Lotus ASEAN—IBM Software Group said that companies especially the SMEs should trail blaze with the new and sophisticated technologies offered to them, otherwise, they will be left behind and eventually lose the opportunity to grow.

“IBM customers don’t want a monolithic stack, they have to upgrade; they want a base that is easily built on a pace that they choose,” Mullins said.

“With IBM, they will see a rapid set of innovations delivered in a way that is loosely coupled and allows them to pick the pieces they need, when they need them whether on-premise or in the cloud,” he added.

During the conference, IBM unveiled plans to grow collaboration through a series including new partnerships that will bring IBM collaboration to mobile devices, the delivery of an expanded cloud collaboration platform, new social software and unified communications technologies, consulting services to help clients define a collaboration roadmap and the introduction of a blueprint for creating next generation collaboration system.

“Clients also want expert guidance. Each industry has unique roles and work patterns that are encumbered by established norms and the inability to find the right expert, information, or tool to get the job done quickly. Companies are asking how they can make the greatest impact by freeing people from the hard-wired organizational barriers that hinder their business results,” he said.

IBMs Collaboration Agenda brings together IBM’s vertical industry expertise, software lab specialists and consulting services experts to help clients realize measurable returns from improving the way people interact.

According to Charis S. Fiel, IBM Southern Philippines Territory business manager for sales, said that the company is now focusing on the big potential of the region to embrace the IBM technology solutions, especially in retail, manufacturing, energy, utilities.

During the event, IBM also introduced the first system that shatter technical barriers, the company’s new eX5 servers, and the new Power7 systems—designed to manage the most demanding emerging applications, ranging from smart electrical grids to real-time analytics for financial markets.