News
Business Integration Competency Centers Open Worldwide
IBM will open competency centers around the world to help global systems integrators (GSIs) develop and test business integration solutions for their customers. Business integration allows companies to exchange information internally and with business partners and customers.
Business integration, also known as Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), has become increasingly important due to the rise of e-business, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and electronic commerce. Companies are automating business processes to increase efficiency, maintain competitive advantage and strengthen relationships with customers.
IBM’s competency centers are the first of their kind, combining the world’s most advanced EAI facilities with IBM-trained staff to assist with every aspect of product development, including education, customer bids and proof of concept.
"Because of the steadily growing demand for EAI solutions, GSI professionals -- 200,000 of them worldwide -- are spending far too much time searching for facilities to fine-tune their products," said William Reedy, Vice President of marketing, IBM Software. "By putting these increasingly scarce resources under one roof, IBM is making it much easier for GSIs to bring their customers better solutions, and in less time."
The first competency center opened last month in Chicago. Others will open in October in San Mateo, Calif.; and Hursley, England. By early next year, others will have opened in Washington, D.C.; Stuttgart, Germany; Paris; Tokyo; and Singapore. Each will be staffed with qualified IBM technicians with expertise in various areas of EAI implementation.
For more information on IBM’s business integration solutions, visit www.software.ibm.com/big.