WHAT YOU’LL KNOW AFTER READING
This is a comprehensive buyer-focused analysis of IBM Services. This guide provides information on service providers’ capabilities, business strategies, key financials, contract analysis, representative customer base and geographic scope, along with strengths and weaknesses through the HfS lens.
WHAT THIS BUYERS’ GUIDE COVERS
The following topics are covered in detail:
- Strategy, strengths, and weaknesses
- Industry and horizontal offerings
- Financials
- Blueprint performance:
- Blueprints covered from 2014 to 2018
- Location Capabilities
KEY SERVICE PROVIDER DYNAMICS
- IBM prefers to be known as the “Cognitive Solutions and Cloud Platform” Company and not as the hardware and traditional services business.
- IBM Services’ next phase of growth is based on its “Strategic Imperatives” that comprise five key imperatives, which was part of a restructuring initiative in 2014. These imperatives are Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, Social, and Security.
- While IBM continues to renew traditional services contracts, one or more components of the five imperatives are woven into it. The new contracts won are mainly in the area of cloud, automation, analytics, and blockchain services.
- Apart from advanced developments in strategic imperatives, IBM has also launched mainframe refresh—IBM’s z14 and is building an ecosystem that will continue to fuel innovation back into IBM, such as OpenPOWER Foundation, around its POWER architecture.
- Increasing R&D spending, which over the last three years, was approximately $17 million.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS REPORT
- Sourcing managers
- Procurement professionals
- Buyer department heads
- Outsourcing advisors
- Knowledge analysts
