IBM aims for smarter planet

Smarter Planet is IBM's point of view on how interconnected technologies are changing the way the world works.

According to IBM Fellow and executive vice president Nick Donofrio, the 21st century drivers of change include network ubiquity, with more than one billion Internet users and three billion wireless subscribers around the world, and everyone and everything connected; the rising tide of globalisation, with its economics, expertise and openness; and innovation, in which technology and insight combine to create new value in products and services, processes and business models.

He said IBM had deep experience in business transformations involving its business and operating models and its workforce. The firm is transforming into one with simplified infrastructure and government, such as its reduction from 155 host data centres in 1992 to just five today, and from 80 Web hosting centres in 1992 to six such centres today.

Donofrio said that in its transformation vision for clients, IBM was focused on three areas of enablement: growth, productivity and culture change. In enabling growth, IBM creates state-of-the-art sales enhancement with a focus on value for the client. In enabling productivity, it offers global shared services, business process and IT excellence. In enabling culture change it provides for transformation of leadership and creates both a values-based culture and collaborative innovation.

He said there were businesses and organisations that were taking a lead in building a smarter planet, and gave as examples British Airways and the city of Stockholm in Sweden.

British Airways is using mobile device check-in and other self-service technologies to help provide trouble-free travel. In the process it is saving itself US$3.50 (Bt119) per passenger. Stockholm, meanwhile, has developed an intelligent toll system in its city centre, resulting in the 20-per-cent less traffic, 40-per-cent lower greenhouse gas emissions and about 40,000 additional daily users of public transportation.

IBM Software Group's vice president for growth markets John Dunderdale said IBM offered technology solutions in four categories on the company's Smarter Planet agenda: new intelligence, smart work, dynamic infrastructure and green objectives.

New intelligence allows companies to take advantage of the wealth of information available in real time from a multitude of sources, resulting in intelligent choices. A smarter work environment is supported by flexible and dynamic processes for efficiency. Dynamic infrastructure drives down costs, provides intelligence and security and is just as dynamic as today's business climate. Green objectives help companies to enjoy greater efficiency, compete more effectively and respond more quickly by taking action on energy, the environment and sustainability.

IBM's vice president of global business services Manoj Saxena said that to maximise business efficiency, smart work was another aspect of the Smarter Planet agenda. It optimises business results by creating an agile and collaborative business environment that extends beyond organisational boundaries and empowers people to more effectively sense and respond to change.

Smart work requires dynamic business processes, smarter collaboration and smart service-oriented architecture. Thus equipped, businesses adapt to change dynamically, optimise the cost of people working together, implement services rapidly and enable flexible business.

The country manager of IBM Thailand's Software Group, Jadesada Kraisingkorn, said the company's Smarter Planet agenda would enable increased productivity and efficiency as well as reducing costs.

In Thailand, IBM is developing such an agenda to support local businesses, including smart work, smart service-oriented architecture and dynamic infrastructure.