IBM AND INVENSYS ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF MANUFACTURING INFORMATION SYSTEMS.IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) and Invensys(TM) plc, a global provider of automation and controls today announced a worldwide strategic alliance to deliver e-business solutions that will link plant floor, sensor-based applications to enterprise information systems, customers and suppliers. The two companies will target manufacturers that produce individual products such as airplanes, automobiles, electronics and other fabricated devices. The two companies will jointly market a suite of Invensys Internet-enabled B2B (Business to Business) Refers to one business communicating with or selling to another. See B2B e-commerce, B2C and B2G. B2B - business to business , enterprise and shop floor products including: the iBaan series, Wonderware Factory Suite (see attached fact sheets), CAPS Logistics, and Invensys CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. product lines -- all of which will be bundled with IBM's eServers. Invensys will lead with IBM's e-business software platforms: WebSphere, DB2 Universal Database and WebSphere MQ Series in sales to new customers. Both companies will also work together on joint solutions focused on using IBM's WebSphere products as the "glue" to link the plant floor with existing enterprise and B2B applications. This integration will provide manufacturing organizations with a powerful factory automation tool enhancing information flow and manufacturing efficiency. This agreement extends an existing relationship between IBM Global Services IBM Global Services is the world's largest business and technology services provider. It is the fastest growing part of IBM, with over 190,000 professionals serving customers in more than 160 countries. and Baan, a global provider of B2B collaborative commerce solutions that is part of the Invensys Software Systems division. IBM has fielded implementation factories for Baan in Denmark and Atlanta since 1998, providing rapid customization of Baan applications and server set-up prior to actual delivery. Currently more than 1,000 IBM consultants worldwide provide integration service offerings for Baan's application suite for customers such as Mercedes-Benz US, Inc., Boeing and Solectron. IBM Global Services has done significant development work linking Lotus Notes Messaging and groupware software from IBM Lotus that was introduced in 1989 for OS/2 and later expanded to Windows, Mac, Unix, NetWare, AS/400 and S/390. Notes provides e-mail, document sharing, workflow, group discussions and calendaring and scheduling. and DB2 and Baan solutions. iBaan was the first enterprise application to ship on the IBM zSeries IBM zSeries - IBM 370ESA eServer. Additional services from IBM and Invensys under the new alliance include the expansion of the IBM Global Services and IBM Global Financing offerings, which provide new Invensys customers an inexpensive, flexible financing option for their software and services acquisitions. "Today manufacturers are demanding real-time, read-and-react capabilities to compress cycle times, reduce inventories, squeeze costs and eliminate inefficiencies from the value chain," said Steve Ward Steve Ward previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lenovo. For 26 years Ward managed a number of key products and divisions before being appointed Chief Information Officer of IBM's Personal Computer Division. , general Manager, IBM Global Industrial Sector. "IBM's scalable, always-on e-business infrastructure, combined with Invensys' leading suite of applications, provides manufacturers with 360 degree views of their processes from the boardroom to the plant floor - creating the fully collaborative manufacturing environments they require." "Further aligning our industrial automation and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or for one customer. software with IBM's e-business software is another important link in the Invensys Sensor to Boardroom(SM) strategy offering manufacturers the ability to integrate information from the plant floor to the enterprise level and externally to customers and suppliers," said Bruce Henderson Bruce D. Henderson (1915-1992) was the founder of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Henderson founded BCG in 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally called the Management and Consulting Division of the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company, what became BCG was itself a , division chief executive, Invensys Software Systems Division. "We are now able to link - in real-time - the B2B value chain network into the world of automated shop floor solutions. IBM offers the innovative technologies needed to support manufacturing e-business, and Invensys offers more integrated e-business solutions on IBM platforms than any of our competitors. Together, we will bring leading-edge solutions to our global customer base." The Invensys strategic alliance is another example of IBM's commitment to go-to-market with leading independent software vendors through the PartnerWorld for Developers program. These alliances target industries such as financial services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , retail, manufacturing, and solution segments including enterprise resource planning See ERP. (application, business) Enterprise Resource Planning - (ERP) Any software system designed to support and automate the business processes of medium and large businesses. , supply chain management, customer relationship management and business intelligence. The goal is to provide developers with access to new customers and revenue opportunities through IBM's marketing, sales and solutions resources. Developers commit to lead with IBM's middleware, server platforms, and services. |
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