Developer’s Delight

An initiative designed to cater to the developer community, IBM’s
developerWorks has close to 10 lakh registered users today. Promoted as a
comprehensive online knowledge base, it is a collection of content and resources
that enables visitors to enhance their technical skills through a range of
tools, tutorials, codes, tips, white papers, news and how-to articles focused on
open standards and cross platform development. "On one hand, we equip the
users with information on the latest technology and tools available. On the
other, this promotes the use of our products resulting in business benefits as
well," says Ashok Dalal, Asia Pacific Manager, IBM Developer Relations, who
initiated the project in 1997.

India, with over 90,000 registered users, is the largest contributor after
the US. Dalal says the share is expected to increase further. Although the
company does not have any numbers on how much of it has actually translated into
an increase in revenues, Dalal says that such promotional measures have helped
the growth of IBM’s business in the country.

"It is a long-term investment. You can not expect immediate
returns." he says, "But if you observe the market carefully, you will
find that IBM products and solutions have been adopted widely in India. Most of
the multinational companies have set up their R&D centers in the country and
this has brought more business for us." Among the other major sectors to
adopt these tools have been high growth areas such as banking and finance.

The DeveloperWorks’ site developer.ibm.com, which also draws on the
knowledge from experts in other organizations, is divided into various
technology zones. Java, XML, Linux, Web services, Web architecture, Security and
Wireless are among the key technologies available. Visitors can access and study
how-to articles, download sample codes, register and try a tutorial or catch up
with latest technology news from industry experts.

Among other promotional activities for developers, the company also organizes
events such as Code Odyssey, which is another way to inform the community of the
availability of resources from IBM for work on Open Standards platforms.
"Besides promoting our products, such events give a platform to developers
for sharing their knowledge." explains Dalal.

The company is also planning to launch country-specific initiatives that
would cater to local needs. For instance, if a particular technology is more
widely used only in India, it makes sense to provide more material on that in
the India site. Countries like China, Taiwan or Korea would benefit more if they
can access the information in their own language. "These are key markets
for the company. We would want to support their specific needs" says Dalal,
"Depending on the feedback from users, the focus and scope of such
initiatives can be further enhanced."

SHWETA VERMA in New Delhi