IBM's direction next year will focus on three areas aimed at increasing productivity and enhancing performance to customers.

Suphajee Suthumpun, country general manager of IBM Thailand, yesterday said the company would concentrate on globally integrated enterprise solutions.

It will encourage Thai resource development with new skills both inside and outside IBM, collaborate on innovations such as virtualisation and accelerate solutions for clients so that it can provide global technology services.

The IT giant already offers delivery of global services in India.

Suphajee added that the business model in 2007 would be without borders since business can be conducted anywhere in the world. Globalisation expands the pool of skilled labour in the world and the emergence of a modern service economy. 

Together with the Science Ministry and National Science and Technology Development Agency, IBM has set up a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Excellence Centre to develop human resources.

It has also linked with King Mongkut's University of Technology Thon Buri to create an IT Playground that will help students to develop IT skills and knowledge.

"This year, our portfolio is balanced between services, software and hardware. We have shifted our focus from business lines to higher value to customers. The success of SOA and information on demand are resonating with clients," said Suphajee.

IBM maintained top spot in Thailand's overall server market and the UNIX server category in the second quarter of the year.

The firm's targets in 2007 will focus on finance, banking, telecom, industrial, distribution and retail markets.

"The goal is to create a service sector that can develop and implement technological applications to help business, government and other organisations improve what they do and tap into completely new areas of opportunity," added Suphajee.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation