Readers of my blog know I am tough on IBM. I guess I expect lots from the world's largest technology vendor.
But in a recent outsourcing deal, I got a glimpse of IBM's arsenal - and what it can pull together when it sets its mind and bureaucracy to an account it wants to win. Remote application management from a US center, backed up with mirror organizations from Argentina and India. The US contact center in a calm, controlled environment with noise canceling technology and impressive application specific knowledge bases. The data center in a Kevlar protected, redundant-everything setting elsewhere in the US. Clean cut project managers, accountants and technicians in business casual clothing. Oozed confidence, yet not intimidating. There are so many physical and intellectual assets at play that the client's one concern is whether IBM's delivery management can coordinate it all. All this at price points offshore firms could not match.
Too good to be true? The proof is in the delivery pudding, but it sure is nice to see IBM pull it together. It would be even better to see IBM do this on a consistent basis in a number of deals.
Update: Sadagopan points out that HP has overtaken IBM as the largest global tech vendor, and that Accenture is now ranked as the largest systems integrator. I say this is good for IBM - unburdened of the crown it can focus on customers - performance like what I describe above is what is needed, not just bulk.