IBM, Business Objects Expand Alliance

The companies, which have collaborated for 12 years, are increasing investments in joint development, improved product integration and global industry support. They will also expand Business Objects' Centre of Competency in Burnaby, Canada IBM said.

The two will also do more to address the mid-market. They will develop industry-specific Information On Demand solutions for retail, financial services, government, healthcare, and life sciences customers. They will also work together to improve marketing, promotion, technical and sales training, sales support, and lead generation.

Business Objects will support sales of IBM's software platforms, while IBM will create a team to expand worldwide sales coverage for Business Objects solutions. More than 300 software engineers will work on standardization and optimization. Joint teams will also develop next-generation software that will include IBM's database and application server, as well as Web services components for service-oriented architecture for BusinessOjbects XI.