The IBM Organization and Its Operations - Essay Example

Reading header: IMB-UNITED S IBM Your Your Abstract This paper discusses the IBM organization and its operations. It introduces the company by giving its short history and functions in the abstract section. Although the company has other products, this paper seeks to discuss some of the company's software products. This paper also discuses different types/classes of the software products available from the company and tries to give a light in aiding easier understanding on some of these products. Complex terms have been used since it can be expected that the reasons/guides used in the naming of the software products may vary and result in complexity. The paper will include a short section on recommendations to the Executive Management Team of IBM and a reference section. The paper considers source materials such as articles issued in the ream of Business Management and available in the website, the Company's website and other websites as well. Background of the Company IBM is an American Computer manufacturing company which was founded in 17 February, 1874 by Thomas Watson. It is also known as the 'big blue' due to the color of its logo. The company started as a producer of punch cards tabulating machines. It built a 600s calculator in 1930s which was based on the punch card processing machine. The first computer (Mark 1) to perform long calculations automatically was co-funded by the organization in 1944 together with Harvard University. Watson Junior developed the 701 EDPM in 1953 which was meant to help in the policing of Korea by the United Nations but was not compatible with the punch card processing machine. The machine had processing units which were about 10 times faster than the core memory. The organization built more computers of IBM types like the IBM 704 of 1956, IBM 7090 of 1960, the 650 EDPM which was compatible with the earlier calculator 600s and it was the first massively produced computer. In 1981 the organization built a home-use computer called IBM PC. The company currently produces software products and computers. IBM research has helped the company in development of new technology and their application and helped the company to make innovations in the industry. These include; the innovation of copper chip technology that are capable of holding very large capacity of information. These were scheduled to be produced in 1998; Introduction of the Giant Magneto-resistive Head (GMR) which allowed introduction of products with higher areal densities e.g. disk drives; Speech recognition technology that would revolutionalise data input and usage of computers in business. There is research to expand and enhance voice recognition software which is already available in 8 words; Scalable parallel systems that allows joining of computer processors together while breaking down complexity and data-intensive jobs to speed their completion; Token-ring networking that allowed more efficient and reliable control of LAN (Local Area Network) traffic-a token-ring controls an individual computer to accessing of the network for example used in factories, cyber cafes, and university campuses; discovery of High-temperature superconductivity in ceramics which was done in 1986 by two scientists from the organization and they were offered the Nobel Peace Prize; discovery in Fractals allows mathematical description of natural irregularities via fractal geometry. A paper which contained the view that, irregular shapes in the nature, like tree branching of objects or phenomena had similar form when given a close up view or far away. The paper was published by Mandelbrot Benoit a scientist at IBM, in 1967; introduction of Formula Translation System (FORTRAN) in 1957; Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), whose memory concept of storing one bit of information in a memory cell consisting of only one transistor and a capacitor, was first described by a researcher in organization in a patent issue of 1968. The technology is in use in many computer memory chips today; and introduction of the first Magnetic hard disk. End User Software/Applications The organization has a range of software products. These include: Data management software Enterprise content management Data warehouse and industry data models Business intelligence and financial performance management Data management software Data of an organization is made available and accurate across. In the IBM Data Studio category, there is Administrator software that will increase productivity and reducing outages of applications by automating tasks. Developer software brings an integrated development environment for testing database and pureQuery applications. PureQuerry Runtime offers access to Java data and improves manageability for connecting applications to data. In the category of Optim Data Growth Solution for Amdocs CRM helps by optimizing performance, reduction of risks, and controlling of costs. Custom and Packaged Applications work as Amdocs CRM which takes command of Amdocs data. Z/OS takes command of enterprise data just like Custom and Packaged Applications and works to optimize performance, risk reduction and cost controlling just like Siebel Customer Relationship management software and PeopleSoft Enterprise both of which take command from PeopleSoft Enterprise data. The data management tools are designed to help in time reduction, complexity and cost of deployment and development of data based applications. These are: DB2 and IMS Tools for optimizing performance of database, increasing productivity, and improving to value the overall time. The U2 Tools are power leverage native tools of UniData and UniVerse, Informix Tools help by boosting the database servers' power, DB2 Server for VSE & VM that provides a powerful, full-function RDBMS, DB2 Office Connect Web Edition which enables seamless transformation of information in Excel spreadsheets to multiple databases and DB2 Query Patroller Patroller for management querying. The data servers deliver lowest total cost and highest performance and providing of optimal support for applications. They include: IBM solidDB Cache one for DB2 that accelerates DB2 for extreme speed, and that for IDS acceleration for extreme speeds, IBM solidDB which is an in-memory database for fast, always-on access to data. Software for UniVerse and UniData that provides an extended relational database for purpose of vertical application, Red Brick Warehouse for providing a lean SQL standard relational database for business intelligence applications while that of Informix Standard Engine that is used for providing an embeddable database server for applications that require the power of SQL. Others are Informix Online, Informix Extended Parallel Server, Informix Dynamic Server, Cloudscape, DB2, DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX and Windows Enterprise planning, budgeting and forecast software are also available. These includes: Cognos TM1 and Cognos Planning. To help in reporting and analyzing of multidimensional and relational data for better results, there are software designed which are Cognos TM1 and Controller. Data warehouse and industry data models Data warehouse involves storage of data. Software products to aid this are available also. Business intelligence and financial performance management The technology and practice of applying information in order to make business decisions is known as Business intelligence unlike data ware housing which is storage of information. Business intelligence performs or accomplishes a goal of sharing information and using it valuably. Information is only helpful if the viable recommendations are put into practice. The information so said need to be relevant, easily useable, trustworthy and in the business context in order to be put into practice. Different tools can be used to avail data. Regular reporting can offer timely information. Comparison and contrasting of information against factors like time can be facilitated by using OLAP analysis with its multiple dimensions. Score cards can be used to present key performance metrics and checking whether one has cross pre-determined thresholds while the information can be put in context by using executive dashboards and putting it in a format which can be easily understood. Better decisions can be made by using acquired information to answer certain questions. The software available from the company includes: scorecarding and dashboard; reporting and analysis software (Cognos 8) which encourages high participatory across the organization in turning strategy to plans led by finance, forecasts and budgets; financial consolidation, reporting and analytics software (Cognos 8 Controller and Cognos TM1); and Enterprise planning, budgeting and forecasting (Cognos TM1 and Cognos 8 Planning), Discussion of Current Business Issues and challenge On October 2, this year, the company launched IBM Cognos 8 v4 that enables improvement of business ability of customers, by engaging the business through extension of IBM Information on Demand strategy. The engagement in business is improved by helping the customer engage the business user by an experience which is more dynamic and interactive, informing the decision making with greater relevance and context and strategy and plan alignment by having complete visibility to forecasts, plans, target and metrics in finance and operations. A bigger number of group including the employees, and customers are allowed to access to trustworthy information by the software by use of consumer oriented interfaces, and management other management user capabilities (IBM Launches Cognos 8 v4 - New Business-Driven Performance Management Software, 2008). The software can help sharing information within an organization and between organizations. On 2 October 2008, the company unveiled a new software to assist collaboration in business by providing a common place to create, govern, maintain and share business dimensions, to view business performance, and help decision making in businesses. The IBM Cognos 8 Business Viewpoint helps in providing the business user with ability to easily reach data, and allows them to align people and systems to current views on finance and operations of businesses and having dimensions to have a new insight and maintain collections of business hierarchies. Business users can be able to manage the constantly changing dimensions crucial to their business role for a consistent, shared viewpoint on results, operations and strategy (IBM Launches New Dimension Management Software for Business Users, 2008). This software is built on the class platform of IBM Cognos 8 enterprise discussed earlier. There is a current designing of technology that will allow companies to exploit virtue worlds. The open source version of a second life would allow creation of virtual worlds by companies on their own. Currently, the retailers can set up a store in a virtual platform. The problem with this is that it would lead to taking things for simple grocery shopping. The selling channel would allow customers to look at the products, research them and discuss them with friends and the second one would allow collaboration within an organization in a virtual conference and instead of wasting minutes for everyone to join, in a telephone conference, the already-joined can start charting just the way it would happen if people actually met. The company has already demonstrated an example of its work to develop location-based services for retailers. The customer and the retailer can communicate using the GPRS connection on the customer's mobile phone. In case the consumer books an appointment to see the retailer, for any issues, the software can send him a reminder, including a map in a data message to his phone. Detection of the customer can occur when he comes for appointment and enters the store and messages can be sent to a relevant staff member. Other communication like feedback requests after the customer is served and promotions available during the day he has visited is possible. IBM has another initiative called the Extreme Blue where computer science and engineering students go into the company and work in groups to create solutions to business problems or challenges (Perry, 2008). Conclusions of findings from the research findings IBM has made a land mark in various innovations in the area of software. It has a research section which has helped in realization of these innovations. Many software products are available that can help organization improve sharing of data information whether it is amongst their constituents companies or with other organization. The launching of the Cognos 8v4 and Cognos 8 Business Viewpoint for example is a landmark in this area. Recommendations and conclusions Executive Management is responsible for the success or failure of the business. Wise decisions which have been carefully analyzed need to be taken. Thus the management needs to be aware all the time of the implications of their decisions. The management should know how to utilize research to benefit the organization and this research should be extended to include as many people or factors as possible. The following compound decision areas and looked into by the Chief Balancing Officers in Cognos an IBM company for better financial performance management: Market Opportunity Value ($): structuring of business to include development of the product, sales and marketing, areas which revenue opportunities cut across, is necessary; Realized Value ($): one should have an overview of the effects occurring on profits as a result of the efforts driving revenue; Customer Retention (%) and Customer Acquisition (%): one should answer questions on the effectiveness of the strategies to acquire customers. Although the Cognos focus coverage on finance, information should include environmental issues of business as a key component since the company in its sold products, there are components that will end up as wastes (Performance for executives, 2008). Environmental management and recycling information in all parts where the company's goods are reaching, should be continually explored, monitored and made easily available if not to aid the users deal with the recycling. These days e-waste recycling is one of the areas that needs good and more attention especially in the third-world countries and research exploration on the need for support programs to recycle it in these countries since their products end-up affecting the environment, if the company is not doing so. References Business intelligence. 2008. Cognos ULC. Retrieved from http://www.cognos.com/ on 7 October 2008. IBM Launches Cognos 8 v4 - New Business-Driven Performance Management Software. Business Wire. 2 October 2008. Published via Gale Group. Farmington Hills, Michigan. IBM Launches New Dimension Management Software for Business Users. Business Wire. 2 October 2008. Published via Gale Group. Farmington Hills, Michigan. Top innovations. Changing the world at IBM Research. http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htmsite=http://www.research.ibm.com/know/top.html Retrieved from on 7 October 2008. Performance for executives, 2008. Cognos ULC. Retrieved from http://www.cognos.com/performance-management/executive-management/index.html on 7 October 2008. Perry J. Inside IBM's software lab: Blue-sky thinking. 25 September 2008. Retrieved from http://www.retail-week.com/Technology/2008/09/inside_ibms_software_lab_bluesky_thinking.html;jsessionid=3A7ADFCFA14889C088D611F40106018E on 9 October 8, 2008. Read More