IBM Corp. says its Middle East operations are ready to lead the region in innovation, best practice building and transfer of knowledge across all key markets.
While expounding on its On-Demand strategy will remain at the heart of its business, other key areas include education and moving the market from the technology transfer stage to a turn-key mode. But the big story here will be IBM?s thrust to enable greater technology innovation at a regional level using its R&D resources in Egypt. In a freewheeling interview with CNME, IBM Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan General Manager Doctor Samer Shaar discusses plans.
CNME: First of all let?s start with the message that IBM wants to give the market this year?
Shaar: Our message clearly is to focus on enabling technology and transfer of technology. IBM Middle East is ready to take its customers through the entire spectrum of self-discovery, formulating requirements, consulting and expertise in verticals. Of course the heart of our strategy will be on our ?On-Demand? offering to enable Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), but the goal is also move into formulating partnerships, increase public sector and government participation, get involved in regional efforts on education and of course increased R&D.
CNME: You talk of technology transfer. How do you particularly plan to tie in best practices and the transfer of technology related to that?
Shaar: Enabling technology transfer is all about enabling the market to move from one for plain services, to a more turn-key project heavy market. That?s the scale up really. Best Practices transfer therefore is integral to this plan. We are in the process of making a concerted effort to transfer best practice and vertical expertise to the market. Some of it global and some that are specific to this market. As a technology provider and enabler, we are in a position to help organizations transform, acquire, aggregate and consolidate using technology to bridge its people, processes and business. IBM wants a big bite off the total journey of transformation in the enterprise world.
CNME: On-Demand is the heart of the business. How does it tie in with the other things you are working on?
Shaar: IBM?s On-Demand strategy is focused on the region?s e-government, telecom and banking sectors, which are leading the way for technology adoption. The interesting link in the chain is the fact that the On-Demand strategy looks IT as a utility, as an infrastructure (driven by ROCE and TCO) and also as a customer focused, efficiency enhancing approach. So business consulting, process optimization and better re-engineering and integration of processes is a big part of the picture.
Particularly in the Middle East, IBM is interested in developing human capital and the transfer of knowledge and a SOA strategy is important for it. For example, in Egypt we are working on projects to better workforce development and in Saudi the focus is to re-skill workforce. On-Demand will certainly play a role in that across all levels.
CNME: What are your initiatives in the education sector? Technology enabled education is such a big thing these days.
Shaar: Our push is on enabling a partnership model, as the education sector is a perfect case for a community building exercise. The master plan is to drive it through a partnership with IBM Technologies and push the market to attain a critical mass of people who have access to technology. This is the only way education and technology can change the way people interact with the learning experience and this is a very important thing for this region.
CNME: It appears that your innovation play also takes root in this cause?
Shaar: Very much so. Today we are fostering R&D relations with educational institutions to codevelop tools and applications for the region. This is not an initiative to build on our profits, but this is a commitment to help develop the market. As technology makes and leaders, this is our commitment to the region.
CNME: The big story in all this is that the Middle East actually now becomes a seat for innovation at IBM, making this region as important as some of the other technology building markets.
Shaar: Yes, it does and our 300 people R&D facility in Cairo will be the fulcrum of our R&D and technology innovation. The efforts will be focused on building and localizing technology, customizing workflows, building in rules and regulations specific to the Middle East. The ?Smart Box? car safety device was a solution that was developed in the Middle East, proving that the region is moving ahead in the digital economy. Innovation in this region will look at projects (across emerging technology areas) that have a significant component of human interaction. This is an effort to make technology an integral part of life in the Middle East.