Chemicals and petroleum: News stories

IBM is reasserting itself and again setting the course in the IT market. The on demand vision has made the company more responsive to the needs of its customers. IBM executives make their case directly to CEOs of customer companies, emphasising the business benefits, not the technology specifics.

Outgoing IBM Global Services group executive Doug Elix says growing the $40-billion organisation is a challenge that involves partnering with smaller integrators, a careful re-investment in the customer, and the creation of entirely new markets.

IBM's business process outsourcing operations in Tulsa, Okla., are a boon, anchoring nearly 1,000 employees in the city. The finance and human resources outsourcing agreements signed with energy firms Williams and Marathon Oil are the latest signs that IBM's presence benefits the area.

Marathon Oil has tapped IBM to take over some of its accounting functions in an effort to cut costs at the company. IBM will assume accounts payable, fixed assets accounting, production revenue accounting, and other tasks.

IBM Australia reported its financial results for the first time ever, after recently restructuring to become more aligned with its global parent. Analysts say that IBM has grown faster than the industry average in all three of its operations: hardware, software, and services.

IBM will grow faster than the industry average by expanding its market share and tackling new services opportunities, said CEO Sam Palmisano. IBM is specifically aiming to capture more large business process transformation deals with its large services arm.

Four new IBM Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Design Centers in Austin, Beijing, Delhi, and Hursley allow customers to put together new SOA solutions for their specific needs. The goal is to make the business demands drive the technology.

Recent changes in IBM's executive structure emphasise its services and e-business on demand business strategy. IBM CFO John Joyce will take over as IBM Global Services (IGS) head, while Doug Elix, former leader of IGS, will now run IBM's sales and distribution operation.

Two new managed services for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that bring legitimacy to the market. The IBM Desktop Management Services and IBM Network Management Services are offered by IBM Global Services under the IBM Express portfolio.

IBM Global Services chief Doug Elix spoke with VARBusiness on the day before moving to head IBM's sales and distribution division. He said IBM's success is predicated on the success of its customers, and IBM Global Services' outsourcing business is growing strongly with that strategy.

A recent IBM Business Consulting Services global survey of 370 executives found more CRM success stories than in the past, as well as surprising attributes of successful CRM implementations. Employee concerns are actually the most important factor in CRM success.

Four new small- and medium-sized business (SMB) offerings from IBM simplify the maintenance and management of companies' back-end infrastructure. The services include network operation and management, infrastructure recovery, infrastructure management, and high availability.

A new IBM suite of managed desktop services for medium-sized companies brings the same on demand computing opportunities to smaller firms that larger enterprises can get. The new IBM Desktop Management Services constitute a total service solution, available on a price-per-seat basis.