HorizonWatching

IBM and InformationWeek to hold Smarter Business and Smarter Healthcare Webinar

There is a webinar tomorrow titled “Smarter Business Webcast with Smarter Healthcare Emphasis”.  The webinar is Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 9:00 AM PT

Both IBM and Information week are sponsoring the webinar to give us a glimpse into sophisticated information technologies such as analytics, sensor-equipped networks, and Web applications that can make industries, processes, and professionals smarter than ever before.  IBM will join InformationWeek in the live, 60-minute video webcast presentation on the topic of Smarter Business.

The webcast will feature a 15-minute presentation by Sean Hogan, Vice President, Global Healthcare Delivery Systems, IBM Healthcare & Life Sciences, discussing Smarter Healthcare. Additionally, the webcast will include a panel discussion among InformationWeek Editor in Chief Rob Preston, InformationWeek Editor Chris Murphy, and Intelligent Enterprise Editor in Chief Doug Henschen, drawing from interviews with leading practitioners in presenting a range of compelling use cases.

The panel is expected to cover the following topics

• Learn how innovative companies are transforming the healthcare ecosystem, reducing costs and providing better clinical outcomes
• Get insight into how banks and other financial services companies are mitigating their risks in the hopes of averting another industry crisis
• Understand how executives are peering into the future of their businesses and not just monitoring historical activity
• Learn how law enforcement is analyzing data to fight crime, how agriculture companies are tapping the latest technologies to water their crops...and much more.

There will also be a time set aside near the end of the webinar for questions and answers.

Registration is at http://www.techwebonlineevents.com/ars/eventregistration.do?mode=eventreg&F=1001941&K=CAA1AC

World Usability Day - Usability Challenges of Building Smarter Cities

World Usability Day 2009 is being held on Thursday, November 12.  The theme for the 5th year anniversary of this event, organized by the Usability Professionals Association, is Designing for a Sustainable World.  

IBM is celebrating the event by holding a public webcast "Smarter Design for a Smarter Planet" and are excited to have guest speaker John Thomas from IBM Research, who will talk specifically about the usability challenges of building smarter cities.   Here is a quick abstract of what John will be talking about.

The vast majority of scientists agree that significant changes will be necessary in this century to avoid ecological disasters. IBM believes we must focus on building "Smarter Cities" where human activities will be more effective and efficient. Designing for Smarter Cities requires a balance between learning what works and creating solutions based on the specifics of a city's history, culture, language, and geography. The need to design new systems with complex yet subtle social effects, and compelling social benefits, makes this an exciting and challenging new area for usability.

IBM will be using a LotusLive web conference for the event, which will  be held November 12, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 EST.  All the details of the event, including webcast URLs are on IBM’s Design Facebook page.  So link to the Design@IBM Facebook page, and check it out.

For more information on World Usability Day, check out  http://www.worldusabilityday.org.

IBM Weighs in on "The Future of the Consumer Products Industry"

IBM recently released a new Institute for Business Value whitepaper titled, "The Future of the Consumer Products Industry" which identifies the powerful macroeconomic, demographic and social trends that are driving deep changes across the CP industry.

For most of the 20th century, the CP industry grew largely by improving its ability to develop and sell products to a relatively affluent, homogenous market of shoppers, who responded in familiar and predictable ways to the traditional 4 Ps of price, product, place(ment) and promotion.

The CP industry of the future will be led by those companies willing to take bold, innovative steps to define the markets they serve, re-imagine the channels they use, and transform current business models, while executing flawlessly against six capabilities:

• Globalization - Balancing market demands for localization with global/standard operating efficiencies
• Differentiation - Deploying assets and processes to create sustainable differentiation
• Integrated information - Integrating information to drive the business through insight
• Innovation - Create and deliver offerings that go beyond consumer expectations
• Consumer-centricity - Finding new ways to connect with consumers
• Corporate responsibility - Integrating corporate responsibility into the organization's DNA.

In conjunction with the release of “The Future of the Consumer Products Industry”, IBM recently released the results of a research study that found Americans at all income levels are refusing to sacrifice quality, value and nutrition to save money on food, despite difficult financial conditions.

The study also revealed that the current economy has led U.S. shoppers to reassess the brands they purchase, the stores they patronize and their preferred packaging – all with an eye toward finding ways to save money. Respondents said that this in-store spending strategy would last beyond the recession.

The study was based on interviews with 4,000 U.S. residents across all income levels. Among the findings:

• 72 percent of respondents are more concerned with quality than price while food shopping.
• 90 percent of respondents said that value and nutrition will be of equal or greater importance when the recession ends.
• 68 percent say nutrition is the most important consideration when food shopping.
• 49 percent are shopping at multiple stores to get the best deals.
• 35 percent of respondents said that they have changed grocery stores to save money.
• 52 percent of consumers are reducing the volume of food they purchase from the grocery store.

For more informatoin

• The white paper The future of the Consumer Products Industry
• IBM’s Consumer Products website http://www.ibm.com/consumerproducts  has a bunch of links to information about the industry
• On the survey mentioned above, see the press release: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28481.wss

Global Location Trends Annual Report

A few days ago, IBM's Global Location Trends report-October 2009 was released. 

IBM’s Plant Location International services have been around for 50 years.  This IBM team provides advice to companies on their location decisions, covering all sectors and types of business functions.  Over the years, this team has acquired extensive expertise and knowledge on what shapes corporate investment decisions.  The team also works with government agencies worldwide for economic development and investment promotion in their efforts to improve and market their locations to investors.

Highlights from the 2009 Global Location Trends report include:

• The economic recession clearly affected global investment activity: a decline of 25% in jobs created through foreign investment.
• Various 'hot-spots' among the emerging markets were severely affected, as companies postponed or cancelled larger, risk bearing projects.
• Stable, mature markets performed relatively better than the emerging markets, still attracting the smaller, consumer oriented projects, and being a safe choice for many consolidation projects (although the majority of these also showed overall decreases).
• The widening of global investment continued. Despite the overall decrease in total investment, companies extended their search for markets, talents, and cost efficiency to new corners of the world. In particular, Africa continues to increase its share of global investment.
• First indications for 2009 show that the above trends continue up until recently. Q3 and Q4 however clearly show signals of increasing activity. This is unlikely to lead shortly to similar numbers of new jobs as in recent record years, but shows that companies are beginning to change their focus to growth strategies again.

To find out more about IBM's Plant Location International team or to download the Global Location Trends report, visit the  IBM Global Location Trends website

Making Healthcare Smarter

Unless you are on Mars, you are aware that there’s a bunch of discussion going on now about making our Healthcare systems better.   Much of that discussion, I feel, is missing the critical topic of the IT infrastructure supporting our healthcare systems.  There needs to be more discussion on how to modernize the technology within the Healthcare systems. 

HealthCare systems should be designed to connect people to information, to experts and to each other so that collectively, we can all act proactively to better manage and deliver preventative and therapeutic care.  Our healthcare system s need better connections, better data, and faster and more detailed analysis.  It needs an integrated view of the underlying data/information and centering it on the patient, so each person "owns" his or her information, controls who access it, and has can provide that access to a networked team of collaborative care. 

We need to move away from paper records to electronic records.  This will reduce medical errors and improve efficiencies.  And more importantly, it will allow us to apply  advanced data analytics to the the vast amounts of data, to improve outcomes.

Some places for you to check out some good discussion going on these days about how technology can improve our healthcare system.

Video

The video to the right (lasts 1:41) makes the case for a smarter HealthCare System

Blogs

The following blogs are great resources on what is happening in Healthcare and IT

• HealthNex: Blogging about Healthcare & Technology since June 2005   http://healthnex.typepad.com/
• Smarter Healthcare:  Building a Smarter Planet  http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/category/smarter-healthcare
• Healthcare tag on “a smarter planet” blog http://smarterplanet.tumblr.com/tagged/healthcare
• Future of Health IT: http://www.futurehealthit.com/

Upcoming Webinar

Join IBM and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) on September 16th, at 12:00ET for a complimentary web seminar:  "Making Smarter Healthcare a Reality: Implications for Today's CIO.".  Dan Pelino, General Manager of IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences, along with a distinguished guest panel will share their points of view on the evolution of smarter healthcare and how the motivational forces of patient safety and quality are driving new levels of transformation.  On the guest panel is…

• G. Daniel Martich, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer, UPMC, will discuss how UPMC embodies smarter healthcare and their transformative journey. Dr. Martich will also discuss the Center for Connected Medicine, a showcase facility for patient-centered, collaborative care.

• Sean Hogan, Vice President, Global Healthcare Delivery Systems, IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences and Peggy Rodebush, RN, MSN, Healthcare Partner, IBM Global Business Services will share the results from the soon-to-be released IBM Global CIO Study providing provocative insights on the evolution of the Healthcare CIO’s role in the organization’s business strategy and in realizing innovative, smarter healthcare.  

Websites

• IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences http://www-03.ibm.com/industries/healthcare/us/index.html
• IBM Smarter HealthCare:  http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ideasfromibm/us/smartplanet/topics/healthcare/20090223/index1.shtml
• HealthCare 2015:  http://www-03.ibm.com/industries/healthcare/us/detail/landing/G883986O04888I88.html

One Million Times Smaller Than A Grain Of Sand

Get a picture in your mind of how big a grain of sand is.  Okay…got it?  Now…think of a really small object one million times smaller than that.  Okay…got that?  Now think of the significance of taking a picture of that small object.

Last week, IBM scientists announced they have successfully used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to reveal the chemical bonds within a molecule.  This is a significant announcement as this is the first time that all the atoms in a molecule have been imaged. 

The image that was taken was of a rectangular-shaped organic molecule is made up of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.  The image looks similar to the shape of molecules we all learned in chemistry classes in high school and college.  The image (a bit blurry) shows hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings are clear and even the positions of the hydrogen atoms around the carbon rings can be seen.

To understand the significance of the first ever image, you have to understand how small the molecule was that was imaged.  The space between the carbon rings is only 0.14 nanometers across, which is roughly one million times smaller than the diameter of a grain of sand.  Now that is small!

So what does this announcement have to do with you?  Perhaps not much, but it means a big deal to future generations that will be in a world made up of very small (nano) things.  The IBM scientists say that this research could have a huge impact of the field of nanotechnology, which seeks to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to mankind.  

"Scanning probe techniques offer amazing potential for prototyping complex functional structures and for tailoring and studying their electronic and chemical properties on the atomic scale.”  - IBM Researcher Gerhard Meyer

More pictures are here on Flickr.  A video is on YouTube here.  And check out IBM’s announcement “IBM Scientists First to Image the Anatomy of a Molecule”

$50k ITS Congestion Challenge

Have an innovative idea on how to solve traffic congestion?   The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), in partnership with IBM and Spencer Trask Collaborative Innovations (STCI), has launched a global challenge to identify innovative ideas for combating transportation congestion.

ITS America is challenging commuters, transportation experts, entrepreneurs and academic researchers to come up with the best ideas to reduce traffic congestion and lessen its economic and environmental impact.

At stake is a $50,000 prize presented at the 16th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems in Stockholm, Sweden, this September.  The winner will also receive the development support needed to put his or her idea to work.

Winning ideas are expected to focus on the following five areas:

1. Speed and efficiency:  Using technology to reduce delays and transport people and goods efficiently and reliably.
2. Behavioral impact:  Innovative ways to convince users to choose options that reduce congestion.
3. Safety:  Preventing accidents, improving incident response and providing more timely, accurate transportation information.
4. Sustainability:  Lowering energy use and emissions while actively managing traffic and reducing congestion.
5. Economic competitiveness: Improve productivity through new technologies (e.g., wireless applications and mobility tools).

For additional information and to enter submissions, visit Join the ITS Congestion Challenge

Four New IBM Cloud Computing White Papers

Last year I was focused on researching and analyzing the Cloud Computing marketplace, which was all the hype last year.  This year I’m focused on other topics (namely social media and online communities), but I am still dabbling in cloud computing. 

Here are some new cloud computing white papers from IBM, who has been an early leader in the push towards enterprise-based cloud computing.

1. Cloud Computing Saves Time, Money and Shortens Production Cycle:  TAP’s role is to prototype and deploy new IBM technologies with 100,000 early adopters who will test-drive and provide feedback on new applications.  Based on their feedback, IBM decides which of the myriad new technology applications to move into production.  Get this white paper here:  http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/ARBN-7QK2YV?OpenDocument&Site=corp&cty=en_us
2. Cloud Computing Improves Productivity in IBM Benchmark and Learning Centers.  The technical support demands of the Benchmark and European Learning Center in Montpellier, France are high.  Before the adoption of cloud computing, provisioning the IT infrastructure  for a benchmark or course required more than a week of intensive labor.  Get this white paper here:   http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/ARBN-7QJVSV?OpenDocument&Site=corp&cty=en_us
3. IBM Research Doubles Its Productivity with Cloud Computing.  IBM researchers can testify first hand to the benefits of cloud computing. The labs are living workshops scattered around the globe where cutting-edge innovations for new technology, services, IT optimization, streaming workflow and disaster recovery are forged.  Get this white paper here:  http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/ARBN-7QK2GE?OpenDocument&Site=corp&cty=en_us
4. IBM Computing On Demand Uses Clouds to Increase Business Productivity.   Computing on Demand (CoD), utilizes cloud computing technology to deliver the computing capacity customers want, when they want it and only for the time period they require it.  It’s this on-demand feature that makes CoD so customer-friendly.   Get this white paper here: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/ARBN-7QJRWV?OpenDocument&Site=corp&cty=en_us

For more on IBM and cloud computing, go to it’s main cloud computing website: http://www.ibm.com/ibm/cloud/

For more cloud computing thoughts check out my previous posts

• Cloud Computing: What is it?
• cloud computing resources
• why should business execs care about cloud computing?
• Primer on cloud computing
• Thoughts on cloud computing
• Accenture on Enterprise Cloud Computing
• SaaS

IBM's Next 5 in 5

Last week, IBM published the third annual "IBM Next Five in Five" list.  This is becoming an annual list (check out the 2007 list here) that describes innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years.  The Next Five in Five list is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s Labs around the world that can make these innovations possible.  

Here is IBM's 2008 list

1. Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows.  The enabling technology for this will be “thin-film” solar cells, a new type of cost-efficient solar cell that can be 100 times thinner than silicon-wafer cells and produced at a lower cost. 
2. You will have a crystal ball for your health.  In the next five years, your doctor will be able to provide you with a genetic map that tells you what health risks you are likely to face in your lifetime and the specific things you can do to prevent them, based on your specific DNA – all for less than $200
3. You will have your own digital shopping assistants.  In the next five years, shoppers will increasingly rely on themselves - and the opinions of each other - to make purchasing decisions rather than wait for help from in-store sales associates.
4. Forgetting will become a distant memory.  In the next five years, it will become much easier to remember what to buy at the grocery store, which errands need to be run, who you spoke with at a conference, where and when you agreed to meet a friend, or what product you saw advertised at the airport. That's because such details of everyday life will be recorded, stored, analyzed, and provided at the appropriate time and place by both portable and stationary smart appliances.
5. You will talk to the Web...and the Web will talk back.  In the future, you will be able to surf the Internet, hands-free, by using your voice – therefore eliminating the need for visuals or keypads. New technology will change how people create, build and interact with information and e-commerce websites – using speech instead of text

As I have been researching and analyzing the cloud computing topic this year, I believe all five of these opportunities above will be enabled by the cloud.  All the data required by these services will be stored in the cloud and the services themselves will be cloud services. 

For more information, check out the IBM press kit Next 5 in 5 online press kit - 2008 where you can also download pdfs on each of the 'Five'.  You can also watch a Next 5 in 5 video on YouTube.

IBM Launches Smarter Planet Campaign

In the future, every human being, company, organization, city, nation, natural system, and man-made system will be interconnected, instrumented, and intelligent.   Imagine what that will be like.  Wow! 

How do we get there?  IBM's Smart Planet campaign, which kicks off today, will help position IBM to participate in this future.   As I write this Sam Palmisano, IBM's CEO is preparing to speak to The Council on Foreign  Relations in New York City on the topic of “A Smarter Planet: The Next Leadership Agenda.  At the bottom of this post I'll provide some more links on the campaign

This is a perfect time to launch this campaign.  At this very moment in our planet's history, there are a number of very significant and fundamental shifts that are occurring in society, business and technology.  These shifts are playing an increasingly critical role in shaping the agenda of both the CEO and IT Managers.  IBM is in a unique position in the industry and should have a big role in communicating to CEOs and CIOs the implications of these shifts.  IBM will also need to deliver a roadmap to the future Smarter Planet.  Look for the Smarter Planet campaign to do just that.

Fundamental Shifts...

So let's reflect on some of the important shifts that are occurring across our great planet...

New Intelligence:  The explosion of information is driving the need for new  intelligent systems.

• An explosion of next-generation mobile & computing devices, a system of a trillion smart devices and physical things—more connected, alive with intelligence are creating insights that could improve competitive advantage.
• Scores of new devices and touch points that are collecting terabytes of valuable new customer data daily.   This has created a massive data explosion - enterprise data expected to grow 57% CAGR 2010
• Web 2.0 is enabling two-way collaboration with customers that is shaping new business models and razor thin margins are forcing companies to identify and capture customer opportunities in real-time

Globalization:  Globalization is transforming society and reshaping business at a rate that few imagined.

• Global markets are creating change on an unprecedented scale - new consumers, new infrastructure, new WW talent pools, and aggressive new competitors for Western markets will impact firms of all sizes
• A huge new global “middle class” is awakening before our eyes” – unfolding with a greater disposable income.  Just consider the impact China and India consumers will have in the future.
  • A growing Chinese middle and upper class: 2005=7%; 2015=45%; 2025=71%.
  • Indian middle and upper class: 2005=7%; 2015=26%; 2025=49%
• An estimated 2 Billion people will be on the Web by 2011.  This will drive an insatiable demand for goods and infrastructure.  Companies will have a much more demanding customer set that wants locally tailored/customized solutions.

Impact of Technology:  Technology has enabled a freedom of choice that has created a wealth of new client expectations.

• Technology is freeing people from traditional constraints that once governed their lives. It is enabling personal and professional “freedom” and interaction wherever, whenever, however.
• Growing global prosperity is giving rise to the pursuit of new customers in new markets, while ubiquitous connectivity is creating a growing class of more informed and collaborative customers
• Systems & processes enable billions of people to work & live; physical goods to be developed, manufactured, bought & sold; services to be delivered; & movement of everything from people , to money to oil, & water

Green Initiatives:  New environmental responsibilities have awoken the public’s consciousness and shocked business into new approaches.

• New responsibilities including environment, air, energy, water & food shortages are now pervasive and urgent issues. There are visible signs of climate change, $140+ /bbl. petroleum prices, rising energy costs, rising energy demand, environmental compliance and governance mandates
• Mainstreaming of “green” beliefs/activism. Customers, employees, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders look for actions that produce genuine results that improve their environmental and financial results. Companies & governments of all sizes need to look across their operations, prioritize their focus areas / investments, & take action now.

Bigger Than The Industrial Revolution

This is an exciting time to work in the Information Technology industry as we are in the position to truly lead in this transformation to the vision I stated at the beginning of this post.

Future generations will look back at this time in history much like we look back at impact the period of the Industrial Revolution.  Back then, developing economies experienced major transformations in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation.   Much of this was caused because of the introduction of the steam engine and related technologies.  The Industrial Revolution and the changes that occurred as a result, had a profound effect on socioeconomic and cultural conditions of those developing economies. 

The vision of a Smarter Planet will have a much larger impact than the Industrial Revolution.  It will usher in the Industrialization of Services.   And if you have been reading my posts this year, you know that I believe  that Cloud Computing will be the 'steam engine' that supplies the brain power for us to accelerate towards the Smarter Planet Vision.

Want To Learn More?

Take a look at A Smarter Planet page on ibm.com or check out some videos at Youtube playlist: Building a smarter planet