Amsterdam - June 25, 2003 IBM today announced a new product portfolio for mid-market customers under the brand name 'Express.' The portfolio - specifically designed for the growing mid-market customer segment in Europe
- will include a new flexible financing model, as well as new software, PC and server product offerings.
In a trading environment characterised by quickly changing market conditions, mid-sized businesses must take advantage of advanced technologies to remain competitive. But with cash-flow being the most unpredictable attribute of a mid-sized business, investing in business-enhancing technology is not always straightforward. The key feature of IBM's new Express portfolio is a series of finance offerings that make investing in technology easier and more flexible. The introduction of these new financing plans, backed up with a new array of Express product offerings, will enable mid-sized businesses to embark on IBM's e-business on demand strategy to become more competitive, responsive and flexible in their respective markets.
Like larger companies, medium-sized businesses are looking to improve the efficiency of their core business processes. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Nielsen Reel Research on behalf of IBM, over half of small and medium businesses say information technology is critical to help their company achieve its objectives in the next year. Yet the majority of respondents believe that today's IT solutions are designed, developed and priced for large companies. IBM's new Express portfolio is specifically designed to address this issue, and to allow businesses to operate in a more responsive, flexible and variable way.
IBM's new Express portfolio was developed with input from IBM customers and Business Partners specifically for medium-sized businesses. The products and services which make up the Express portfolio have to meet specific requirements which focus on usability, size and price. With the new Express portfolio IBM further enables its network of 90,000 Business Partners including independent software vendors (ISVs), systems integrators and consultants to deliver complete solutions to medium-sized businesses. All Express offerings are 'IBM Business Partner enabled,' meaning they can easily sell and recommend IBM Express offerings to their customers and receive compensation.
IBM will launch the following new Express offerings, designed and priced specifically for medium-sized businesses:
Financing for IBM Express Solutions
Midmarket customers and Business Partners have clearly expressed their needs for IT financing. IBM's financing offerings help to accommodate the customer's cash flow issues and budget management with their needs to invest in latest IT technology to stay competitive in the market and to preserve credit lines as well as cash for other strategic investments. IBM Global Financing has designed a set of offerings to serve customers through IBM and Business Partners:
IBM SuccessLease, for smaller on the spot financing engagements up to $50K is available through IBM Business Partners. (not branded in the Nordics)
IBM Lease IT Easy - a quick and simple framework of standardized, competitive financing rates covering financing engagements up to $500K.
Lease IT Easy includes commodity financing for Hardware components and Total Solution Financing for IBM and non-IBM Hardware, Software and Services and is available through IBM directly or through IBM Business Partners. (In the Nordics up to $350K - for any larger deals Flexible Financing applies)
Customers asking for more flexibility such as payment deferrals, stepped payment plans or tailored financing solutions can be served through IBM FlexibleFinancing, IBM's tailored financing offering for projects larger than $500K.
New IBM Software Express Offerings
WebSphere Commerce Express A new software offering designed to make it faster, easier and less expensive for medium-sized businesses to create and manage e-commerce sites. WebSphere Commerce Express features an easy-to-use installation process that allows businesses to start building an online store in as little as one hour - 30 percent faster than Microsoft's commerce software and at 25 percent less cost.
With WebSphere Commerce Express, mid-sized business customers and their Business Partners can create and manage online catalogs to display a variety of merchandise; use reporting tools show online buying patterns and trends; develop competitive marketing campaigns to promote special merchandise; and take advantage of inventory and order management integration. These features enable a streamlined internal process that helps businesses act 'on demand' by quickly adapting to changes in the marketplace.
WebSphere MQ - Express is designed to make it very easy to connect a variety of different applications together so businesses can efficiently share critical data across their IT infrastructure. Typically, medium-size businesses spend a lot of time creating custom code to connect different applications together, which can be very expensive to manage and maintain.
A medium-size business can install WebSphere MQ - Express in just five clicks and can be up and running in as little as 10 minutes.
"As a web integrator focusing on the UK SMB sector, we are very excited by IBM's announcement of the Express offerings to the WebSphere portfolio. The 'all-in-one' approach that IBM uses in WebSphere Commerce-Express, providing the e-commerce production, staging and development software in one affordable package, delivers tremendous value. Commerce-Express is going to make it easier for companies like ours to get clients up and running quickly with basic e-commerce capabilities." said Bleddyn Williams, Marketing Director from UK BP Morpheus.
Integrated Platform Express for Employee Workplaces A new Linux-based server solution designed to make it easier for employees of mid-sized companies to access, customize and manage in one place all the business information and applications needed to employee enhance productivity in a busy office environment. The IBM eServer Integrated Platform Express for Employee Workplace combines the power of an IBM eServer xSeries 255 system with the transactional capability of IBM's WebSphere Portal Express to enable customers to enhance workplace efficiency by consolidating tools such document processing, e-mail, calandaring and instant messaging, onto a single portal. With this solution, employees have a single desktop environment in which to do their work, with a simple, easy-to-use interface that can be customized to fit each user's needs and preferred work patterns. This initial IBM Express branded server offering was designed for companies with 100 to 250 employees and can be tailored to meet the requirements of a variety of industries, including retail, distribution, health care and banking.
IBM Personal Computing Division Express Portfolio IBM Personal Computing Division will offer a new Express product portfolio that combines tailored configurations of ThinkCentre desktops, ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkVision monitors with aggressive pricing, and great availability in the reseller channel to offer the latest technologies. The end-user will have added benefits with the ThinkVantage Technologies in wireless, security, support and availability, as well as extended battery life and enhanced processing.
Peter Thorne, Director of Consulting from UK based analyst Cambashi Ltd
commented: "IBM in EMEA has been making a strong and sustained investment to refocus its capability to meet the needs of small and medium sized businesses.
IBM's commitment to working with partners to address this market is clear in the way it has developed thorough local coverage as well as partner incentives. The Express portfolio adds a new element of hardware, software, and service products specifically packaged or configured for medium sized businesses".
About IBM
With 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate, IBM is the world's largest information technology company. IBM is a leading provider of e-business solutions and is dedicated to helping companies, Business Partners and developers leverage the potential of the Internet and network computing across a wide range of businesses and industries. The company offers a host of cross-industry and industry specific solutions designed to meet the needs of companies of all sizes. For more information on IBM, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/mediumbusiness
Voor meer informatie:
Etta Pouw
Communications
IBM Nederland N.V.
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1066 VH Amsterdam
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