IBM Unveils Start Now SMB Solutions For Business Intelligence

IBM is unveiling a new offering as part of its Start Now suite of solutions to help small to midsize business (SMB) partners provide their clients' e-businesses with business intelligence solutions.

The company hopes to capitalize on the growing SMB market for business intelligence solutions. Analysts say the business intelligence market in general should grow roughly 40 percent annually,from approximately $42 billion in 2000 to more than $100 billion by 2003. The company expects SMBs to make up 50 percent of that market.

The new IBM Start Now Business Intelligence Solutions will be delivered exclusively through IBM Business Partners, says the company. They will be able to leverage Big Blue's DB2 Universal Database as well as the company's hardware, development tools and financing options.

The newest release is part of IBM's existing Start Now Solutions for e-business, which include a number of offerings to help partners implement Web-based solutions for customers. Previous offerings released include Start Now Web Self-Service Solutions and Start Now e-commerce Solutions.

"This is the fourth or fifth step in a long series of things we have been doing this year to focus our compensation model more on partners' value that they deliver," says Jeff Howard, IBM software group's manager for SMB marketing. "We want to help them by providing the solutions and offerings they need to go out after the mid-market."

IBM's offering provides partners and their clients with the components to build and manage business intelligence databases, as well as transform stored data into useful information. That way, the partners can help their SMB clients improve their customer and supplier relationships and make better decisions about their overall business models and processes.

Components included in the business intelligence solutions include: IBM Business Intelligence software, including IBM DB2 Universal Database V7.1 and IBM DB2 Warehouse Manager V7.1; the latest models of Netfinity, RS/6000 and AS/400; data analysis tools from Brio Technology and Business Objects; a "how to" manual for implementing BI solutions; on-line training; and co-marketing and sales tools.

The solutions are already available to North American partners and will be available in Europe and Asia Pacific later this year, says the company. The suggested prices begin at approximately $70,000.

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