IBM Software Group Annual Event: deep dives and initial tags

I am here in Stamford, Connecticut for a couple of days (intro stolen from Mike Gotta at Burton Group, who is sitting next to me: he has a “real” blog, unlike some other analysts at other firms, and is a must read for tracking collaboration software stuff), with RedMonk’s single biggest client, IBM.

We’re starting the event with some deep dives, which suits me well. No need to go straight into marketing wonderland.

I just went to a session on WebSphere Registry and Repository, on which more later, but suffice to say this tool is now not just a placeholder or piece of vapourware. Where does SemWeb meet SOA? Possibly in tools like WRR.

Now I am listening to Michael Curry, one of the Ascential team acquired with the company by IBM, on information management. its interesting to see IBM talk about “parallel processing” as an underlying platform service in its Information Management Server. Anyone would think the company is actually starting to live service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Oh – that is news to me. IBM is apparently going to merge its two master data management platforms-Product Center and Customer Center, into one platform for customers. Its not rocket science – this is the right move to make, having acquired Trigo Technologies and DWL. So IBM is in a “massive engineering effort” to do it. Makes a change… 😉

I am looking forward to the rest of the event. This is my favourite event of the year, from a social networking perspective. I get to see a lot of my key contacts face to face, many of whom i consider friends. It also has a special place in my heart because it was at the same even four years ago that I decided to set up RedMonk. I thought of the company’s name during a keynote by IBM SWG Supremo Steve Mills. Here we are four years later, well established, and with growth news. Its nice to see many of our IBM contacts so excited to meet with our new hire Anne Zelenka.

One reason I wanted to post early was to get this tag out there. Its nice to see IBM tell analysts about a standard tag for the event.

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