IBM Broadens e-business Services
Celebrates Anniversary of First Offerings with New Services
Somers, NY (November 03, 1998) – IBM today expanded its e-business services with new and enhanced offerings to help companies take advantage of the Internet revolution to connect people within the enterprise, connect the enterprise to customers and suppliers and move out to wide, new markets over the World Wide Web.
These new offerings build on the extensive portfolio of e-business services introduced one year ago. They help organizations become e-businesses in two fundamental ways: by helping companies conduct electronic commerce, and by enabling e-business — through establishing Web-based relationships with other organizations and leveraging information. The e-commerce offerings include industry “flavors” of the popular e-business Advisory Services, and workshops to facilitate use of the Web for electronic data interchange (EDI). The e-business enablement offerings include services for Web-based business partnerships and communities of interest, information-sharing, and decision support using Web technologies.
“IBM is making an important distinction that IDC also makes–a distinction between electronic commerce and the broader opportunity in the world of Web interaction,” said Traci Gere, Director, IDC Services Research.”Web-enabled relationships and knowledge management will have a great impact on the ways companies interact, collaborate and conduct business in the future.”
“Today’s announcements are based on our extensive experience implementing e-business solutions and directly address what clients tell us they need to succeed,” said Buzz Waterhouse, general manager, e-business services, IBM Global Services.
The new e-commerce services include advisory services that help companies identify and set priorities for their Web opportunities and build implementation strategies. They now take specialized industry requirements into consideration and are tailored for insurance, retail, utilities, health, manufacturing and banking and financial services industries.
Also to facilitate e-commerce are two workshops aimed at helping existing EDI users make use of current technology and best practices. “Web technology is making it possible for many companies to reap the benefits of EDI as they never could before,” said Neil Isford, vice president, e-business services. “Smaller organizations can use Web EDI to link with large companies, and in turn, the large company increases options by reaching out to smaller trading partners wherever they are in the world.” IBM is the industry leader in EDI services.
The new enablement services help companies build an e-business infrastructure, implement applications, leverage information and build relationships. The new infrastructure service offerings include enhancements for the newest release of Notes/Domino and the addition of architecture and implementation design for Microsoft Exchange.** Intranet publishing is an application service that helps companies set up an in-house information network. New information management offerings encompass a service that helps companies set up their own intellectual capital management system, and a service to gather customized information off the Web. Messaging services support implementation of Microsoft Exchange**, and migration of cc:Mail*, OV/VM* and OV/400* to Notes/Domino.
New services for building Web relationships include two offerings for communities of interest, such as cities and towns, and another offering for companies that helps them understand what kind of business partnerships can be beneficial and the rules of the relationship. IBM then designs and implements those extranets.
Today IBM Global Services’ e-business experts are serving customers in thousands of engagements worldwide in a wide range of industries, helping them realize the benefits of e-business. These new services build on this base and will be available worldwide.
With 1997 revenues of approximately $26 billion, IBM Global Services is the world’s largest information technology services provider. IBM’s fastest growing business segment has an unsurpassed breadth of capabilities and 118,000 professionals helping companies of all sizes solve real business problems and create new business opportunities. For more information on IBM Global Services, visit www.ibm.c
Source: IBM