an announcement about "Next Generation e-business"
ortmann
Tue, 11 Jan 2000 08:46:58 -0800

Since this was publically announced I can forward this to the group.
I wish the *bsd's were included.

(Odd text and formatting below is due to Lotus Notes)

--
Daniel Ortmann, IBM Circuit Technology, Rochester, MN 55901-7829
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] and 507.253.6795 (external)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and tieline 8.553.6795 (internal)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and 507.288.7732 (home)

"The answers are so simple, and we all know where to look,
but it's easier just to avoid the question." -- Kansas


---------------------- Forwarded by Daniel Ortmann/Rochester/IBM on
01/11/2000 10:42 AM ---------------------------

Enterprise Systems Group
Samuel J. Palmisano
________________

From: SJP Comm/Somers/IBM @ IBMUS on 01/10/2000 09:14 AM EST

To:   ESG EMPLOYEES US07 0021, ESG EMPLOYEES US07 0022, ESG EMPLOYEES US07
      0023, ESG EMPLOYEES US08 0001, ESG EMPLOYEES US08 0002, ESG EMPLOYEES
      US09 0001
cc:
Subject:  Next Generation e-business

During the past two-to-three months, we've taken a close look at our server
business and what we need to do to get our momentum back.

Today we're taking a first step by making a significant announcement to
support Linux and the open source movement and to drive the next generation
of the Internet.  We intend to be a leader in our industry by:

    making all of our server platforms Linux ready;
    engaging closely with the Linux community to help Linux evolve; and,
    making IBM technologies available to the Linux and open source
   communities.

This is important news for IBM and for our customers.  Here's why:

Over four years ago, IBM stated that the Internet was about more than just
browsers; it was about a new way of doing business.  Since then, IBM's
leadership and view of e-business have helped transform the world.

We believe we're now on the brink of another important shift in the
technology world.  The next generation of e-business will see customers
increasingly demand open standards for interoperability across disparate
platforms.  Linux -- a community-developed version of UNIX -- will play a
pivotal role in this.  We will embrace Linux on our server platforms -- and
help it become one of those open standards as a natural extension of our
commitment to e-business and the next generation of the Internet.

To spearhead that work effort, we are creating a new organization, headed
by Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, who has been named vice president,
technology and strategy, reporting to me.  He was general manager, Internet
Division, Software Group.

Irving?s organization will have responsibility for our UNIX software
efforts, advanced architectures and technologies, and IBM's next-generation
Internet strategy.  With IBM as the industry?s e-business leader, there is
no longer the need for a stand-alone Internet Division, since the entire
company has been focused on Internet themes for several years.

As we look to the future, we will continue our aggressive push in the UNIX
marketplace with our industry-leading RS/6000 and NUMA-Q servers, our
award-winning AIX operating system and our efforts to evolve AIX in Project
Monterey.

We believe the long-term growth of the Internet is about common application
platforms that can harness leading-edge technologies and simplify
customers' choices.  We believe Linux will develop into that type of common
platform.  By getting in early and being a key player in the open source
community, IBM will be a leader in working with the industry to advance
Linux into the future and bring our customers into the next generation of
e-business.

This is a long-term play.  Significantly, this is not only about servers.
There is a huge opportunity for services.  For software.  For all of IBM.

So this is one step.  You'll be hearing from me in the next few weeks on
other key initiatives that, in aggregate, will restore our momentum and
help us turn our business around.  Stay tuned.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic10901.pcx)
Senior Vice President & Group Executive
Enterprise Systems Group

You may read more about IBM's Linux activities, RS/6000, NUMA-Q and AIX
successes at http://w3.ibm.com/servergroup