IBM e-business Hosting for the Automotive Industry

Solutions for managing IT costs and enabling quick deployment of Web-based services.

Last year, more than 57 million vehicles rolled off assembly lines worldwide. This number continues to rise and is expected to reach 65 million by 2010 1. For manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and retailers of automobiles and automotive products and services, this massive production effort generates significant annual revenues. Despite these numbers, profit margins throughout the industry are shrinking, largely due to increased competitive pressure brought about by:

• continuing globalization
• tighter regulatory controls
• poor general economic conditions
• innovations in on-board technology
• greater customer expectations

Responding to these forces, the auto industry has delivered lower prices and higher quality - but not enough for a very demanding market. The challenge is to simultaneously cut costs in all parts of the supply chain, and to build customer loyalty by introducing new revenue-generating products and services.

IBM e-business Hosting™ has solutions that can help Automotive companies:

• improve collaboration within the enterprise and throughout the supply chain
• lower IT costs
• enable IT resources to focus on projects that create competitive advantage
• get Web-based services up and running fast

Service offerings that address Automotive industry needs

Application Hosting
Designed to provide comprehensive application, middleware and infrastructure management by a team of IBM e-business experts who have extensive experience hosting some of the most complex sites on the Web, and can work with you to solve the unique business challenges faced by today's Automotive industry.

Application Hosting service offerings for the Automotive Industry include:

• Application Hosting for On Demand Workplace
  Enable employees, partners and customers to make faster, more informed business decisions, improve the efficiency of internal operations, and strengthen supply chain relationships, with this Lotus® Web conferencing solution.
• Application Hosting for SAP
  Enable IT resources to focus on new, differentiating projects with this cost-effective, hassle-free alternative to building and running an SAP infrastructure in-house.
• Application Hosting for Siebel Systems
  Build customer loyalty and improve customer service through customer relationship management (CRM). This Siebel 7 solution is quicker to implement and more affordable than in-house implementations.

Managed Hosting

Designed to deliver an IBM-managed infrastructure that helps Automotive companies leverage the Web without having to expand existing IT resources. These flexible, modular services allow you to purchase the solution you need now and transition smoothly to the solution you'll need as you grow. Options include cutting-edge security services that can decrease the vulnerability of your servers and optimize security and privacy strategies.

Managed Hosting service offerings for Automotive Industry solutions include:

• Managed Hosting for Linux Virtual Services
  Simplify your infrastructure and reduce costs by using and paying for only the processing, storage and network capacity you require.
• Managed Hosting - Services Anywhere™
  Gain the performance and service advantages of a fully managed hosting operation without relocating your current hosting operation. You maintain as much control as you want and leave burdensome management tasks to us.

Facilities Hosting

Offers the flexibility to choose from a broad range of hosting services while maintaining control over design and operation of your infrastructure. This option is ideal for Automotive businesses with existing technical staff and in-house hosting capabilities.

1) Wards Automotive Reports, Reference Center and Auerbach Grayson, "Automotive Sector Report," October 2002.