IBM unveils building blocks for converged physical and digital infrastructure

It’s all about integrating business systems with the growing numbers and types of intelligent sensors in, for example, supply chains, bridges, roads, cars, appliances, cameras, pipelines, healthcare, livestock and even in utilities’ ‘smart grids’ – that monitor and match power requirements in real time. IBM describes the requirements as: the ability to manage, store and analyse 15 petabytes of information the world is now generating per day; and reducing the “massive inefficiencies”, and enabling greater resilience around, the increasingly interconnected world. Hence today’s industry-specific services and software, which Big Blue says will help clients map and integrate intelligent things with their backend systems – “enabling them to gain new insight into their operations and provide better services as a result”. The industries concerned are: utilities, chemicals and petroleum, telecoms, retail, banking, electronics and manufacturing. And the offering includes IBM service management software, alongside services from IBM Global Business Services, IBM Global Technology Services and the company’s partner community – focusing, for example, on smart meters and RFID. Specific details seem scant, but suffice to say, new services are being offered to help clients design and implement service management strategies; there’s also a new governance consulting practice; there’s new Tivoli Service Automation Manager software, which automates the design, deployment and management of services such as middleware, applications, hardware and networks; and IBM is majoring on its Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager software, which simplifis the lifecycle of encryption keys. As for the massive data issue, IBM has launched an integrated appliance, which includes server, storage and data de-duplication software, as well as enhancements to its XIV storage system, including a new lower cost of entry and interoperability enhancements. There’s also now full-disk encryption on IBM System Storage DS8000, which helps to increase security and reduce costs and complexity – while IBM Internet Security System’s new data security services have been designed with next-generation security technology.