'IBM's vision is to help solve this data quandary'

What is IBM's approach to information on demand?



Information on demand approach treats information as a service, getting the

right information to the right people at the right time. This approach creates

new business value by unlocking information in all its forms from their

repository, process, and application silos, delivers trusted information,

improves business operations, worker productivity and client care, over its

lifecycle. Information as a service is IBM's vision to help solve this data

quandary, by enabling businesses to transform information into reusable services

that are secure, manageable and highly accessible.

What is the state of information?



The information may not even involve text or numbers at all. It may be

locked in material like voice recordings, still images, or video. In these,

often lie the wads of knowledge critical for uncovering trends, creating

opportunities, solving problems, or averting disaster. Unstructured data

accounts for as much as 85% of all business data. By ensuring that all types of

business data is available, companies can take advantage of significant

opportunities for innovation. In fact, the 2006 IBM Global CFO survey found

companies that prioritized information integration were five times more likely

to drive value creation. This value takes the form of improved customer

retention, better management of the supply chain, compliance with industry and

government regulations, and reduced risk, improved efficiency and productivity

and increased business agility. 

What are the offerings in this space?



Data services, enables seamless management of all data within a

service-oriented architecture (SOA), DB2 9, the content and discovery services

that maximizes and simplifies access to global content are some of the

offerings. There is another, called IBM WebSphere Federation Server meant for

information integration services. It unites, analyzes, corrects and transforms

information into trusted services. Coming soon, IBM information server will

provide a common platform for integration of all data types and architectures.

Some other products include IBM WebSphere Customer Center and IBM WebSphere

Product Center.

Minu Sirsalewala





minuvs@cybermedia.co.in