In a bid to help small- to medium-sized businesses
(SMBs) maintain enterprise-wide security and overcome business
process challenges that inhibit growth and innovation, IBM has
introduced three SMB-focused modules of its Express Advantage
suite.
The computer giant says that Express Advantage will allow SMBs
to benefit from its technical strength and business insight in
tailored offerings that are priced and scaled to meet the unique
needs of the target market. The new additions to Express Advantage
include IBM Tivoli Directory Integrator Express, IBM Express
Desktop Management Services, and IBM Grid and Grow Express.
The announcement builds on the findings of IBM's Global SMB
Innovation Survey, taken among executives from SMBs around the
globe, which illustrated that enterprise-wide security, process
integration, access to capital and business continuity and recovery
are among the leading business concerns faced by SMBs.
IBM Tivoli Directory Integrator Express is designed to help SMBs
maintain accurate and secure identity data across all of an
organisation's applications. It takes identity data from a trusted
source, such as a human resources application, and ensures the data
is shared correctly with other applications.
IBM Express Desktop Management Services is a fully integrated,
web-based suite of services designed to improve the security and
uptime of the customer IT environment, while increasing the
productivity of its IT staff. It aims to provide customers with
visibility of IT assets and installed software across their firm,
including remote users and distributed sites, enabling management
of desktop and laptop assets.
Finally, IBM Grid and Grow Express contains hardware, software
and services, which the company says enable first-time customers to
take advantage of grid technology. The offering consists of IBM
BladeCenter with seven blades, along with a choice of server
architectures, operating systems, schedulers and services that tie
these technologies together. The package is designed to position
SMBs for future growth, as well as give them the technology to
address business challenges associated with mission critical,
compute-intensive applications.