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IBM Logo The months of August, September, and October were busy ones at IBM with a flurry of announcements in hardware, software, services, acquisitions, and strategic alliances. The complete index of IBM Happenings (by year and month) is here. In addition to the major focus on a “smarter planet“, IBM is heavily engaged in healthcare both as an information technology and business solutions company but also as an employer..
In a bold move to cut healthcare costs, IBM plans to drop co-pays by employees when they visit their primary care physicians under the company’s self-insured coverage. The idea is to save costs over time by encouraging people to go to primary-care doctors sooner in order to get earlier diagnoses that could save on expensive visits to specialists and emergency rooms later. The company is able to make this change because it pays for the health-care benefits, not insurance companies. With 115,000 U.S. employees, IBM spends about $1.3 billion a year on healthcare so it is highly motivated to launch new healthcare initiatives.
Approximately 50% of Americans (133 million) have some form of chronic medical condition. Most of these people are not actually disabled, but they absorb a large amount of the country’s healthcare resources. The most common chronic conditions are high blood pressure, arthritis, respiratory diseases like emphysema, and high cholesterol. The projections are that the number of people with chronic conditions will continue to increase. Most of the people in this category are between the ages of 18 and 64 — in other words they are people who are working.
By encouraging employees to consult with their primary-care physicians IBM hopes to drive down costs over time. The company does not require primary-physician referrals for employees to see specialists. The combination of these factors — no co-pay for primary care and no approvals for specialists plus payments of up to $300 a year to employees for taking exercise classes or enrolling their children in online weight-monitoring programs to curb obesity — makes IBM a trend setter. The benefits will surely flow to both employees and shareholders.

List of Announcements for August through October 2009

IBM launches analytics center In China

IBM’s China Analytics Solution Center addresses the growing demand for the capabilities needed to build smarter business systems and drive improved decision-making.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28143.wss

JVC KENWOOD Holdings selects IBM cloud services

JVC KENWOOD Holdings will leverage cloud computing to create a dynamic infrastructure to allow access to vast pools of technology resources.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28152.wss

S-OIL signs seven-year outsourcing agreement

IBM will provide comprehensive outsourcing services to S-OIL for application operation and management and server, storage and network operation services.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28150.wss

Amtrak awards services agreement to IBM

IBM will provide IT support to Amtrak focusing on improving the quality of service to Amtrak’s 19,000 employees and over 28.7 million passengers nationwide.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28121.wss

IBM helps governments build smarter systems

IBM’s Business Analytics and Optimization Services for Public Sector team will include experts in areas such as healthcare, transportation, social services, public safety, border management, cyber-security and education.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28169.wss

Trafficmaster, IBM develop smarter driving solution

Trafficmaster’s SmartNav enhanced route-planning tool incorporate a dynamic probe collection system powered by a combination of IBM hardware, software and storage.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28178.wss

IBM decision-making software improves business agility

IBM ILOG optimization software helps businesses transform business issues and objectives into models that can be solved using sophisticated optimization algorithms, producing precise and logical decisions.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28179.wss

IBM brings analytics to legal decision making

IBM InfoSphere eDiscovery Manager and IBM InfoSphere eDiscovery Analyzer now include enhanced early case assessment functionality and open APIs for partner solution integration.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28174.wss

IBM protects enterprises against Web attacks

IBM Proventia SiteProtector 8.0, integrates a consolidated security management system with Rational AppScan, an industry-leading solution for Web application vulnerability and secure code testing.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28162.wss

IBM introduces System Storage DS5020 Express

The IBM System Storage DS5020 delivers the high performance, availability and solutions that enterprise customers are accustomed to to midmarket organizations.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28252.wss

IBM X-Force report reveals Web insecurity

IBM’s X-Force 2009 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report shows an unprecedented state of Web insecurity as Web client, server, and content threats converge to create an untenable risk landscape.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28257.wss

IBM awarded application services contract with BP

BP awarded IBM a 5-year contract to manage and run all of the oil giant’s enterprise applications and integrated service desk responsibilities.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28258.wss

IBM opens Services Delivery Center in Iowa

The new facility joins a network of delivery centers worldwide where employees maintain, monitor and support computer hardware and software.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28250.wss

Deutsche Borse selects IBM for trading system

Deutsche Borse Group has selected IBM high speed messaging technology to become part of its all new technology infrastructure.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28246.wss

IBM Study: analytics top priority for today’s CIO

A new global study of more than 2,500 CIOs reveals that leveraging analytics to gain a competitive advantage and improve business decision-making is now the top priority for CIOs.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28314.wss

IBM’s ‘iDataPlex’ selected for cloud development center

Voltaire Ltd., an infrastructure provider for data centers, has selected the newest IBM iDataPlex server for a new global cloud computing resource center.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28302.wss

IBM unveils industry’s first public desktop cloud

The new IBM Smart Business Desktop on the IBM Cloud subscription service provides a logical, rather than a physical, method of access to data, computing power and storage.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28292.wss

IBM, Qantas sign project delivery agreement

IBM has signed a seven-year contract with Qantas, Australia’s largest airline, for the provision of project delivery functions as part of the airline’s improved business efficiency goals.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28349.wss

IBM Study: drug companies struggle to improve supply chain

Reducing the risk of counterfeit drugs and contaminated medications are among the top concerns of the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries according to an IBM study.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28352.wss

IBM launches analytics center in New York

The IBM Business Analytics Solution Center in New York is part of a global network of analytics centers helping clients optimize business processes and business decisions.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28512.wss

IBM celebrates 20th anniversary of moving atoms

In 1989, IBM Fellow Don Eigler became the first person in history to move and control an individual atom heralding in the age of nanotechnology.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28488.wss

IBM opens Linux Innovation Center in Kazakhstan

The center will drive the development and adoption of open standards and open source technologies among businesses and government organizations of Kazakhstan.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28491.wss

Quebec to use IBM digital medical images solution

With the new tool, Quebec physicians will have quick electronic access to the millions of X-rays, MRIs and other medical images stored in repositories across the province.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28502.wss

IBM announces new video communications solution

The new IBM Converged Communications Services – Managed Telepresence service includes design, implementation, concierge and help desk, integration with client calendaring application, remote operations, and maintenance and support.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28510.wss

IBM reports 2009 third-quarter results

IBM announced third-quarter 2009 diluted earnings of $2.40 per share compared with diluted earnings of $2.04 per share in the third quarter of 2008, an increase of 18 percent.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28591.wss

IBM to improve programming for USSOCOM

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded IBM a technology and services contract to modernize its planning and execution functions.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28617.wss

IBM, Toyota create green data center

IBM announced the results of a collaborative effort with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) to reduce energy costs and consumption in the TMS data center.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28606.wss

KIS signs outsourcing agreement with IBM

IBM has signed a 10-year strategic outsourcing agreement with Korea Investment & Securities Co. Ltd. (KIS), which aims to enhance its competitive position in the global marketplace.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28613.wss

IBM awarded funding to advance genome technology

The National Human Genome Research Institute gave IBM an award to design a silicon-based “DNA Transistor” that will advance genome sequencing technology.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28604.wss

IBM announces new offerings for dynamic infrastructure

IBM announced a portfolio of offerings to help midsize businesses reduce cost, improve service and manage risk while building the IT infrastructure needed to thrive.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28652.wss

IBM introduces new high-end storage array

IBM is introducing the System Storage DS8700, the most advanced model in the DS8000 lineup, offering much higher performance, reliability and resiliency, as well as greater energy efficiency.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28657.wss

IBM, Canonical launch cloud-based desktop software

IBM and Canonical are introducing the IBM Client for Smart Work, a cloud- and Linux-based desktop package designed for use on a company’s existing fleet of PCs.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28649.wss

IBM announces new data centers software

IBM’s new VMControl product for enterprises gives businesses a single point of control across multiple types of IT systems and virtualization technologies.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28628.wss

IBM helps accelerate innovation with analytics

IBM announced a broad expansion of its business analytics portfolio with new capabilities that enable clients to drive business analytics and optimization for faster and smarter business decisions.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28686.wss

IBM announces new Service Management offerings

The offerings integrate IBM Rational and Tivoli software, making it easier for organizations to align their software delivery processes.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28713.wss

Dassault Systemes to acquire IBM PLM Sales Operation

IBM and Dassault Systèmes signed an agreement under which DS intends to acquire IBM sales and client support operations encompassing DS’s PLM software application portfolio.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28694.wss

IBM helps Alameda County deliver social services

California’s Alameda County Social Services Agency is using IBM analytics technology to improve the delivery of social services by implementing efficiencies at every program level.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28688.wss