IBM today launched IBM Smart Business, a breakthrough way for small and medium businesses to acquire, use, and manage technology that IBM calls "radically simple."
Two years ago, as part of the IBM "Innovation Jam," the largest online brainstorm ever held, more than 150,000 people from over 100 countries converged to discuss ways in which technology could enable advancements in everyday life. One of the biggest issues identified was the tremendous need to make IT less complex for small and medium businesses.
IBM's answer to this issue will get its first market test in the entrepreneurial Indian marketplace which boasts more than 35 million small and medium businesses. With the introduction of Smart Business, IBM aims to fuel the growth of these businesses by delivering ready-to-use IT that is easy to implement, operate and grow.
IBM Smart Business delivers:
• A pre-integrated solution with all the fundamental technology required to run a business with no manuals required
• Access to a Web-based community and marketplace to acquire new business applications, and Web-delivered collaborative services immediately ready to support a business, such as access to remote (cloud-based) application services like managed security and hosted back-up and recovery
• A single point of contact for service and support - IBM
"IBM's ambitious vision for small and medium businesses stakes out a clear leadership strategy that embraces new technologies, open standards, and Web 2.0 capabilities. We will deliver the industry's most desirable IT experience for small and medium business-delighting our clients with a wide choice of optimized applications, powerful, industry-standard business systems with built-in security and business resiliency; and a single point of contact for service and support," said Ramesh Narasimhan, director, general business, IBM India/South Asia.
Early Focus on Healthcare and Manufacturing Industries
IBM has focused the initial launch of Smart Business on the healthcare and manufacturing industries ripe for technology solutions to solve significant business challenges:
• India has achieved notable advances in its healthcare industry in recent years. Yet the country still faces significant challenges that include quality of care, rising costs and insufficient access for many citizens. It's essential that India transform its healthcare financing, quality, and delivery before the system reaches a breaking point, according to experts in the field.
• At the same time, change is spreading across the manufacturing landscape at a breakneck pace, bringing healthy productivity gains to the industry. But the downside is that change can be very difficult to manage. Fortunately, new forms of planning, integration and financial insight tools enable midsize manufacturers to better handle rapid change and growing complexity.
With Smart Business, IBM will provide access to solutions from leading software providers that specialize in these industries and deeper sub-industries, while eliminating the complexity of managing technology. Healthcare providers and component manufacturers will be able to grow their businesses by increasing capabilities not complexity and building connections to a community of others in their industry.
Smart Business Curriculum at National Institute of Fashion Technology
The textile and apparel manufacturing industry continues to play a vital role in India's economy, accounting for $20.5 billion of the country's exports--second only to the IT industry--according to the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI). For an industry that employs 88 million people across the country, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) plays a critical role in developing and instituting curricula to help future entrepreneurs take advantage of cutting-edge manufacturing technology in order to increase quality while lowering production costs and better compete with growing global competition.
As an early user, the NIFT is in the process of implementing IBM Smart Business in eight of its educational facilities nationwide to use in a curriculum with entrepreneurial students looking to build new business skills to operate within the competitive industry.
The selected IBM Smart Business solution will feature a leading apparel and textile manufacturing application from Smart Business partners Datatex Textile ERP and Infinite Computer Solutions. It will be used in the curriculum to build skills in the technology in order to increase productivity. The goal is to address various functional areas like planning, merchandising, sales, materials, manufacturing, costing, business intelligence, and manufacturing execution.
"IBM Smart Business provides the value our small and medium size business customers are looking for, ready-to-use IT that is built on a set of open standard interfaces that makes the installation of new applications, systems management, and online services easy to use, consistent and compatible for all customers," said Guruprasad S Rao, head of Enterprise Solutions Group, Infinite Computer Solutions.
Availability
IBM Smart Business is available in India beginning today. Though the official U.S. launch isn't until early next year, solutions are available, and the Web site can be accessed, from anywhere. IBM Smart Business includes:
• Smart Market: a Web-enabled, one-stop SMB marketplace clients can use to browse, rate and buy solutions or collaborate with other clients, industry experts and vendors from around the world.
• Smart Cube: a secure, turn-key computer designed to deliver integrated solutions directly to the client. Smart Cubes install and connect users to Smart Market within minutes.
• Smart Desk: a Web-enabled dashboard that clients can use as a single-point-of-contact for Smart Business maintenance, from updating applications automatically or subscribing to an on-demand service.
Today's announcement also provides application providers and resellers an open platform on which to grow their business and deliver better value to their customers. In addition to Infinite Computer Solutions, IBM is working with a growing number of leading ISVs in India, including: Adrenalin eSystems, Aunwesha, AWPL, Cincom Systems, Idhasoft, Infor, Instant Collaboration, Karishma, Nexstep, Sobha Renaissance Information Technology, Teamworks Solutions, Telesis Global Solutions, and Transversal eNetworks.
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