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