IBM 1997 Annual Report Download - page 30

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THERE IS THE LANGUAGE
OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Java, parallelism,
areal densities, polymorphism in object-oriented
programming. And there is the language of business:
return on investment, supply chain management,
customer care. A company that wants to hold its own
in any important conversation about business and
information technology strategy has to speak both.
The IBM people who have these conversations with
our largest customers are members of what we call
Industry Solution Units. Each one of the 11 industries
we serve is represented by one of the client executives
on these pages. They’re among 17,000 IBM experts
responsible for our business with 20,000 customers,
representing about 70 percent of our 1997 revenue.
At their fingertips are the resources of the world’s
greatest information technology research and devel-
opment organization.
Our client and research teams have developed
more than 250 industry-specific solutions — many of
them built as “first of a kind” projects — working
directly with our customers.
It’s not easy amassing a cadre of business experts.
Nor can just anyone build world-class R&D capability.
To start the conversation, you need the former. To
complete that conversation, you need both.
here here
here
here
here
conversation
the
IBM industry specialists (left to right):
Robert Barthelmes Education; Paul Grys Manufacturing; Françoise LeGoues Utilities & Energy; Jeffry Ullman Travel & Transportation;
Nallu Reddy Telecommunications & Media; Robert Durot Process & Petroleum; John Wilson Wholesale/Distribution; James Pintar Insurance;
Gail Gulinson Healthcare; Jim Martin Government; Nelson Eng Banking, Finance & Securities; pictured in Manhattan, New York
starts