James Governor's Monkchips

IBM Global Services: Globalisation’s Green Core

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I am in Lisbon at IBM Analyst Insights 07 (Global Services European industry analyst event). I am often bored by “main tent” sessions but I have to say Dominique Cerutti just caught my interest.

IBM’s motherhood and apple pie globalisation pitch now has a new spin-most notably with respect to global greening.

Cerutti said that globalisation is accelerating, and says that “eco-demographics” is a key factor in that change. “Eco-demographics”… interesting. He also spoke to “competition for human and natural resources” and “ecological concerns”. If IBM consulting is talking to these issues they are by definition board room concerns.

Drilling into the green issue Cerutti said: “Green can be seen as opportunistic. But in the commercial arena IBM is the biggest owner of data centers worldwide. So we must address eco and energy saving costs.”

IBM plans to redirect 1bn a year- 850 experts- energy efficiency specialists. and develop cooling technology, better software for provisioning and so on.

As i have noted before I think IBM and BT are on a collision course around energy efficiency business consulting.

An analyst just asked why IBM had used the term “global energy crisis” – what the hell else should IBM call it, when oil is above $90 a barrel.

“Clients aren’t arguing that green is important- its not an easy ride…”

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Its good to see IBM’s focus here. The company could be missing a trick though, in terms of green issues and The Future of Movement. I would advise IBM to more explicitly drive eco thinking into its goal of becoming a “globally integrated enterprise”. The company’s stated intention is

370k IBMers in the right place, at the right time, at the right cost by 2010

What is employee mobility though, if not a green issue? Cerutti used a lovely phrase: You don’t need to emigrate to participate… and I think that’s the key.

Perhaps dopplr could help with that… 😉

 

 

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2 comments

  1. […] I realise Greenmonk is not about green data centers, but I am at an IBM conference and its a core issue here.  I am going to do writing it up in some depth, but I called out IBM’s efforts in a blog here, titled Globalisation’s Green Core. […]

  2. […] thoughts on the Carbon Added Tax. Over at SAP Research Andreas Vogel is leading the charge. IBM is doing some solid work here, as is BT. But we’re beginning to see a potential backlash, based on the Greens are […]

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