IBM – the stack veteran
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The computing giant is one of the pioneers of the pre-integrated systems model that is now returning to vogue
IBM’s early dominance of the IT industry stemmed from its status as the original vertically integrated computer manufacturer – a chip-to-command line supplier of hardware and software products that each bore the company brand. IBM systems were not the cheapest, nor were they necessarily superior to best-of-breed alternatives, but IBM could be relied on to make its own products work, spawning the legend that “no-one was ever fired for buying IBM”.
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The power of that legend may have faded over the years, but IBM’s technology stack is still comprehensive. The company’s own microprocessors still drive its Z Series mainframe technology, while it also offers a family of Intel-based servers. Both of these are complemented by proprietary but increasingly standards-based systems management, database management and storage tools. IBM has a claim to being the true pioneer of virtual machine management technology, and its application server products and software development divisions have wide support and influence.
This portfolio, supported by IBM’s global services division, has allowed it to remain a trusted strategic partner to the world’s major businesses for five decades. The announcement last November of its latest IBM Smart Analytics Cloud products may actually add little to what the company can already provide, but it shows that IBM is not ready to be complacent. If the future of IT is to be about providing customers with services composed of ready-integrated technologies, IBM is ready and willing to compete on those terms.
How the vendors stack up
Oracle – from software to systems, courtesy of Sun
Larry Ellison's company now has the technology required be a strategic supplier, but does it have the relationship skills?
VCE Alliance – an ambitious bid from the outsiders
The confederacy of VMware, Cisco and EMC has technological credentials but its stack vision is still a work in progress
Microsoft & Hewlett-Packard – a pragmatic partnership
The two IT giants' commitment to co-operation and mutual interoperability is a practical reaction to industry moves
I think there are two issues to this "stacking". There is the end to end IT offering as described in the article chip, hardware, storage, software etc. But the one that matters and where the angst lies is in the application development "stack". Here lies the arena of failure with such a complex and disjointed stack of components that bring misery to users with unbelievable failure rates of some 70% in UK Government.
It was reported recently that Microsoft spends 9bn a year trying to ensure their software works together. IBM does not build their own application software they acquire components as and when they reach a state of maturity with sound revenue flow. But the result is a bundle of old technologies not really fit for 21st century? Is spending money to integrate all these components really going to produce an elegant solution that removes complexity? I think not.
It needs a fresh approach to recognise that people are the source of all information and that there are very few work task types including the user interface that support people and thus can address all business issues. Business logic never changes it is about people doing something to achieve an output? Such an approach has been pioneered here in UK and others seems destined to follow. The result is truly disruptive with dramatic cost savings in build, maintenance and operational efficiency. The winner will be the customer who gets exactly what he wants with agile software and the losers will be the existing “stackers”?
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