A short report on IBM with its brief history, an overview of segments, services provided, storage solutions, software solutions, services, cloud, Cognitive offerings, and IBM target by the year 2020.

1. 11/13/2018 IBM
Managing Information Technology
in Business
Mayank Agrawal
JINDAL GLOBAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

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A REPORT ON:
IBM
Submitted to: Dr. Rajni
In partial fulfilment of the requirement of the
Managing Information Technology in Business
By:
Mayank Agrawal
On:
November 13, 2018

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Letter of Transmittal
November 13, 2018
Dr. Rajni
Assistant Professor
Managing Information Technology for Business
Department of Business Administration
Jindal Global Business School
Subject: MITB report on IBM
Dear Ma’am
As per the guidelines provided by you during the classroom discussion, we hereby submit a report on
IBM. We discuss about the history of IBM, various services provided by it to the industry, and
innovations done and future targets for 2020.
Kindly evaluate the same and provide your valuable inputs.
Best Regards,
Mayank Agrawal
Jindal Global Business School

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Table of Contents
S.No. Contents Page No.
1 Introduction 4
2 History 5
3 Overview of Segments 7
4 Motivation to choose the company 8
5 Services provided by IBM 9
5.1 Server Hardware 9
5.2 Storage 10
5.3 Software 11
5.4 Services 12
5.5 Cloud 12
5.6 Cognitive Offerings 14
6 Relevance of services (MITB) by IBM 17
7 IBM Target 2020 20
8 Recommendations 21
9 Learnings 21

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Introduction
IBM, International Business Machines, incorporated on June 16, 1911, is an American
multinational information technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York,
United States. It has operations spread over 174 countries. IBM manufactures
computer hardware, middleware and software, provides hosting and consultancy
services in areas from mainframe to nanotechnology and now Artificial Intelligence.
It started as Computing-Tabulating-Recording company (CTR) in 1911 and was
renamed ‘International Business Machines’ in 1924. It is owned by Mr. Warren Buffett,
with a net worth of $170.90 billion. Initially, the company manufactured machines. This
might look simple but they were quite high tech machine for that period of
time. eg coffee grinders, meat slicers etc. During 1950's the company was in an era of
rapid technological advances and the firm moved forward by producing magnetic tape
storage, programming, disk drives and electronic computers. In 1960s the most
important product was produced by the company until that point of time, namely IBM
SYSTEM/360 that completely relied on Solid Logic Technology. They entered the
printer market and today they offer Technologically advanced computer programs for
people from all walks of life. ex. Lenovo ThinkPad.
It is nicknamed as ‘Big Blue’ with largest employee base (as of 2017), over 3,80,000
employees. In the 2010s, IBM began recasting itself as a cognitive solutions and cloud
computing platform company. Ginni Rometty, appointed IBM CEO in 2011,
emphasized a core group of strategic imperatives for IBM: analytics, cloud, mobility
and security.
IBM now operates through five segments: Cognitive Solutions, Global Business
Services (GBS), Technology Services & Cloud Platforms, Systems and Global
Financing.

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History

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Overview of Segments
Cognitive Solutions
The Cognitive Solutions segment delivers a spectrum of capabilities, from descriptive,
predictive and prescriptive analytics to cognitive systems. Cognitive Solutions includes
Watson, a cognitive computing platform that has the ability to interact in natural
language, process big data, and learn from interactions with people and computers.
Global Business Services
The GBS segment provides clients with consulting, application management services
and global process services. The portfolio of GBS services is backed by its globally
integrated delivery network and integration with IBM solutions and services, including
Watson, cloud, blockchain and Technology Services. It offers Watson Inter of Things
(IoT) Consulting Solutions.
Technology Services & Cloud Platforms
The Technology Services & Cloud Platforms segment provides information technology
(IT) infrastructure services. It delivers a portfolio of cloud, project-based, outsourcing
and other managed services focused on clients' enterprise IT infrastructure
environments. The portfolio includes a set of hybrid cloud services and solutions to
assist clients in building and running enterprise IT environments that utilize public and
private clouds and traditional IT. Its capabilities include IBM Cloud, cognitive
computing and hybrid cloud implementation. It delivers a line of support services to
maintain the availability of clients' IT infrastructures.
Systems
The Systems segment provides clients with infrastructure technologies. It offers a
range of systems designed to address computing capacity, security and performance
needs of businesses, hyperscale cloud service providers and scientific computing
organizations.

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Global Financing
The Global Financing segment includes client financing, commercial financing, and
remanufacturing and remarketing. Its client financing offers lease, instalment payment
plan and loan financing to end users and internal clients.
Motivation to choose the company
We choose IBM for our main company for report and presentation, since IBM is an
Information Technology company that has been on the forefront of technological
advancements since 1911. They have constantly tried & succeeded to evolve and
bring revolutions in the industry and bring us to the current technological era. What
better company to choose for MITB than IBM, a company itself innovates and provides
technological solutions to almost all the industry. Thus, it is the biggest player in IT
and in providing IT solutions to others. It caters the solutions according to the clients
requirement and helps them grow together. They have been now on the forefront to
bring 4th Industry revolution driven by cognitive computing with the help of in-house
developed system WATSON. Some of the industries where IBM provides services are:
• Aerospace and Defence
• Automotive
• Banking & Financial markets
• Education
• Electronics
• Government
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• Retail & Consumer products
• Telecommunication, media & Entertainment

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Services provided by IBM
1. SERVER HARDWARE:
• Since the launch of IBM SYSTEM/ 360, IBM continues to sell its
MAINFRAME-CLASS COMPUTERS. IBM continues with Z system for
providing customers with the cognitive business. IBM solution for the Z series
products include analytics, BLOCKCHAIN, cloud and DevOPs.
• IBM’s Power System runs the IBM’s AIX, IBM I OSes and Linux because the
IBM Aims power system server towards the big data and analytics applications
• IBM has introduced LINUXONE system has their hardware platform.
BLOCKCHAIN:
It is a distributed ledger that maintains a permanent tamper-proof record of transactional
data. Blockchain is a decentralized database that is managed by computers belonging
to PEER-TO-PEER (P2P). Every computer in the network has been distributed with
the ledger to prevent a SINGL POINT OF FAILURE (SPOF) and it has updated and
validated simultaneously.
Earlier Blockchain were used by Digital currencies and Bitcoin but in today’s world
Blockchain has been used by many industries as a secure and cost-efficient way for
creating, managing the distributed database and maintaining all types of records in
digital transaction.
BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORM:
In public, the Blockchain is permission-less and company’s like Bitcoin can use every
node in the network can always conduct transaction have consensus process. But in
private, each and every company has to get permission and company can’t use every
node for transaction and participate in the consensus process.

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DevOps:
DevOps is terms of operations and development for a collaborative and shared approach
to the tasks that has been performed by a company’s IT operation team and application
development team. It describes about the adoption of automation programmable
software development and deployment and maintenance of infrastructure.
2. STORAGE:
• For hardware, the products that are offered by the IBM includes Flashsystem
all-flash arrays, Storwize systems and other hybrid arrays, Fibre channel
storage-area network hardware, storage media, and tape products.
• For software-defined storage, IBM is making its Spectrum storage suite and
Cleversafe object storage technology.
STORAGE-AREA NETWORK (SAN):
A SAN is a dedicated high-speed network or the sub-network that interconnects and
presents shared pool of storage devices to multiple servers. SAN always moves the
resources of common user network and rearranges and organises these resources into
an independent and high-performance network. It enables all the servers to access the
shared storage.
SAN network is assembled using three principle components: Cabling, Host Bus
Adapters (HBA) and Switches attached to the arrays and servers.

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SOFTWARE-DENIED STORAGE (SDS):
Software-Denied Storage (SDS) is a computer program that usually manages all the
data storage resources and functionality and has no dependencies on the other physical
storage hardware.
3. SOFTWARE:
• IBM’s software includes offerings to analytics such as IBM Congos Analytics,
IBM SPSS, IBM Maximo Assets Management and DB2. All the products that
are offered by IBM in this field have come from acquisition of company’s
mainly MAXIMO in 2006, CONGOS in 2008 and SPSS in 2009.
• The IT infrastructure software provided by IBM includes WEBSPHERE
application server and MQ messaging middleware.
• The mobile and social space software include IBM business offering and the
IBM notes collaboration products. In addition to this IBM provides security
software i.e., MaaS360 for the mobile devices and IBM QRAdar Security
Intelligence Platform that is a security information and event management
product.
• The larger enterprises can get their IBM software approved through IBM
PASSPORT ADVANTAGE and the Medium-sized business can get their
license approved through IBM PASSPORT ADVANTEGE EXPRESS. IBM
provides fixes and updates for its software and hardware through an element
called FIX CENTRAL.

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DB2:
DB2 is a IBM’s family of relation database management system (RDBMS) products
that usually serve a number of different operating systems. IBM has stated that DB2
leads in the terms of database market share performance. But DB2 products are offered
for UNIX based systems and personal computer operating systems and Db2 trials with
Oracle’s database products in UNIX based systems and microsoft’s access in windows
system.
WEBSPHERE:
WebSphere is IBM’s set of java-based tools that allows customers to create and manage
their business websites. WebSphere tool is the WebSphere application server (WAS)
that allows the customers to connect web site users with the java applications or
servlets. Servlets are the java application program that runs on the sever rather than on
the customer’s computer as java applets.
4. SERVICES:
Service units of IBM’s include Global Business Services, with Big Blue’s management
consulting operations and Global Technology Services that provides networking,
mobility. And business continuity and outsourcing and other services also. Like all
other large IT firms, IBM also has moved to purchase companies that offerings cloud
consulting and implementation services. In 2015, IBM purchased Meteorix LLC, the
workday service partner and in 2016, IBM purchased Bluewolf, a salesforce channel
partner and cloud consultant.
5. CLOUD:
• IBM smart-could software and services started from the year 2011.
• This was followed by acquisition of softlayer technologies for providing
INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICES (IAAS) in the year 2013. Due to this
smart-could and softlayer combined together for providing CLOUD services.

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Now IBM combines its CLOUD offering with its BLUEMIX PLATFORM AS
A SERVICE (PAAS) offerings.
• In 2016, BLUEMIX incorporated softlayer cloud products and services into a
bigger infrastructure and .platform application services.
• IBM’s cloud offerings rivals are Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft
INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE (IaaS):
IaaS is a form of cloud computing that majorly provides with virtualized computing
services and resources over the internet. IaaS is one of the major categories of cloud
computing by IBM alongside with IBM’s SaaS and PaaS.
IaaS cloud provider, provides with infrastructure components that are traditionally
present in an on-premises data canter, which includes servers, networking hardware and
storage as well as virtualization or hypervisor layer.
PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PaaS):
PaaS is a cloud computing model for which third-party provider delivers software and
hardware tools that is needed for application development for the users over the
internet. PaaS uses its own infrastructure for providing hardware and software. This
results in PaaS users rom having to install in house hardware and software to develop
or run a new application.

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6. COGNITIVE OFFERINGS:
• IBM Watson supercomputer (AI and analytical software) is the flagship for
providing cognitive computing.
• Many technologies and products have come from IBM’s cognitive computing
system and from IBM’s research.
• IBM also offers its product with in-built cognitive capabilities. This in-built
cognitive includes IBM WATSON internet of things (IoT) platform and IBM
Watson Analytics for social media.
COGNITIVE COMPUTING:
Cognitive computing system uses human cognition process in computerized models in
order to find solutions in complex situations where the answers are uncertain and
ambiguous. Always the term cognitive computing is used with Artificial Intelligence
(AI).
Cognitive computing combines with AI and provides many technologies to power
cognitive applications, including neutral networks, expert system, and robotics and
virtual reality (VR).

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WATSON:
• An Artificial Intelligent system capable of answering questions posed in natural
language and to help the humans in making a decision considering a broader
perspective.
• Developed in IBM’s DeepQA (QA = Question & Answering) project, led by
David Ferrucci.
• Combines natural language processing, machine learning &
hypothesis generation & evaluation to give direct, confidence
based response.
• Can Extract Needle in the Haystack.
• Plays With natural language ( implicit + highly contextual + ambiguous + often
imprecise).
• Processing speed doubles every 18-24 minutes.
• Watson LEARNS and gets SMARTER. It self - accesses its own algorithms.
• Learns to disambiguate between languages, basically words.
• Performance: 80 teraflops per second.
• Given: Rich Natural Language Questions over a domain of knowledge.

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• WATSON Delivers:
Precise Answers: Determine what is being asked & give precise
response.
Accurate Confidences: Determine likelihood answer is correct
Consumable Justifications: Explain why the answer is right
Fast Response Time: Precision & Confidence in <3 seconds
Internet Of Things (IoT):
The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices,
mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided
with unique identifiers (UID) and the ability to transfer data over a network
without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
BENEFITS of IoT:
❖ Generate more revenue
❖ Monitor their overall business

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❖ Improve the customer experience
❖ Enhance employee productivity
❖ Integrate and adapt business models
❖ Make better business decision making
❖ Save time and money
Relevance of Services(MITB) provided by IBM
Let us discuss in brief about the impact of services provided by IBM in some
key industries.
1. Aero Space and Defense
• Fast, streamlined, compliant development of next-generation flight
management systems.
• To accelerate development of its next-generation flight management
systems, CMC adopted a new object-oriented, model-based
process. Automatic traceability from requirements through to delivery
boosts productivity, reduces defects, accelerates development, and
simplifies compliance.
2. Metal and Mining
• Goldcorp processes complex inquiries 35 times faster with Watson,
what used to take 24 hours to process can now be completed in
seconds.
• Sandvik performs mining process optimization on more than just
equipment. With a focus on data, Sandvik and their customers drive
mining productivity in new ways and reduce the impact of equipment
breakdowns.
3. Oil and Gas
Fuel agility, efficiency and new revenue streams with insights. Volatility is
the new normal in oil and gas. And in this new reality, oil and gas companies

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have to go beyond process enhancement to reinventing the way they do
business. IBM’s tailored solutions for oil and gas can help one gain an edge
in a “lower for longer” marketplace, boost productivity despite a shrinking
workforce and drive growth in a volatile ecosystem.
4. Education
Personalized education: From curriculum to career with cognitive systems
The education industry is challenged by digital disruption to reinvent and
prove relevance. IBM research reveals how educators are achieving
improved outcomes through cognitive systems.
5. Travel and Transportation
Modernize and optimize travel efficiently:
The travel and transportation industry is growing, and expectations are
rising from today’s savvier, more connected travelers. IBM’s digital solutions
can help provide the seamless travel experience you want with the improved
efficiency you need.
We will now discuss the potential of WATSON in specific segments and areas
where it can help us evolve and rely on technology more.
1. Retail
Retail will be forever be changed by merging online shopping with retail
store shopping. We will get an experience that is a combination of both
and will be able to make informed decisions at our comfort while
exploiting the technology for our ease and satisfaction.
2. Smart City
With the help of Watson and AI, sooner we will be developing our cities
into smart cities where everything will be connected through cloud and
we wiil be able to access data real time. The number of vehicles in a

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traffic congestion, the areas affected by rain, accident in a paticular
area and so on are some of its examples.
3. Education
Education will change right from the start of our childhood, when we
develop the learning curve. With the help of AI and Machine learning, we
would able to forecast the prime interest of a child and thus cater to its
learning from the start. Each child will have education focused on what
they want to become/achieve rather than spoon-feeding them through
irrelevant courses for their real life implementation.
4. Health Care
Imagine having number of solutions or medical decisions taken for a
particular diesease or problem. As soon as the doctor would encounter
a case, he would be presented with a number of solution paths taken till
now. Based on his experience he can suggest the best alternative and
save lives.
5. Personal Security Assistant
A personal security assistant that knows your behavior and day to day
life schedule. What time you wake up, how many times you check your
social accounts, how do you manage your finances, whom do you call
most and so on. These are some of the things that is unique with every
individual. Your personal security assistant could detect even a slight
change in your routine and block you out and inform over specified
channels about any potential hack. This could be a life saver in some of
the cases.
Some of the real life implementation of Watson-powered apps in 2018 are as
follows:
1. USAA and WATSON help military members transition to civilian life.
2. ANZ global wealth and WATSON help financial planners improve their
advice.

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3. MD Anderson and WATSON undertake ‘Moon Shots’ to End Cancer.
4. Mayo Clinic and WATSON tackle Clinical Trail research.
5. Johnson & Johnson and WATSON give R&D discoveries a makeover.
6. Bumrungrad Hospital and WATSON improve Cancer care.
7. WayBlazer and WATSON redefine the travel experience.
8. Red Ant and WATSON train retail sales employees.
9. SparkCognition and WATSON implement Next-Gen Security Analytics.
10.LifeLearn and WATSON transform veterinary care.
IBM targets 2020
1. AI-powered robot microscopes will help clean up the world’s
water supplies.
In five years, small autonomous AI microscopes, networked in the cloud and
deployed around the world, will continually monitor the condition of the natural
resource most critical to our survival: water.
2. Crypto-Anchors and blockchains to fight Counterfeiter.
Within the next five years, cryptographic anchors and blockchain technology will
ensure a product’s authenticity -- from its point of origin to the hands of the
customer.
3. Lattice cryptography will discourage even quantum-powered
hackers.
The scale and sophistication of cyber-attacks escalates every year, as do the
stakes. In five years, new methods of attack will make today’s security measures
woefully inadequate.
4. AI bias will explode, but only unbiased AI will survive.
Within five years, the number of biased AI systems and algorithms will increase.
But we will deal with them accordingly – coming up with new solutions to control
bias in AI and champion AI systems free of it.

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5. Quantum computing will move from the research labs into the
real world.
In five years, the effects of quantum computing will reach beyond the research lab.
It will be used extensively by new categories of professionals and developers
looking to this emerging method of computing to solve problems once considered
unsolvable.
Recommendation
Based on the advancement and sudden AI burst, we recommend the following:
1. IBM should introduce online tutorials to efficiently use and implement
WATSON, and exploit its power on a student level.
2. IBM should choose a specific medium tier city to make it future proof and
implement IT in all aspects including education, retail, smart city, health care
and security.
3. IBM should start implementing block chain technology in new un-explored
areas of implementation.
4. IBM should engage into more student driven/ focused learnings of its newest
technological advancements, since they are the future.
Learnings
From our deep research of IBM we learnt a number of new technological
advancements and the overall growth that it has already achieved. From producing
CTRs to ThinkPads ( personal laptop ) to database and server solutions, it has evolved
into a new age company that may possibly drive the next technological decade. We
earlier had a primitive knowledge of how IBM helped the society, but by learnings its
implementation of WATSON and future plans of technology, it is driving towards a new
dawn, driven by Artifical Intelligence, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing using
Big Data and Analytics. This was very fasicinating and seems like a scientific movie
which is too good to be true. But with fast paced world today, these are indeed
necessary and iminent. IBM’s R&D justifies the saying – ‘The Future is now.’