International Business Machines Corp Stock Price, News & Analysis

IBM has established a disaster recovery site for KAZ Minerals using its Cloud infrastructure, enhancing the copper producer's operational resilience against disasters. The site, deployed in four months, utilizes IBM Cloud Bare Metal Servers and VMware Site Recovery Manager, automating recovery processes and minimizing IT infrastructure costs. This hybrid cloud setup allows KAZ Minerals to efficiently safeguard critical applications, emphasizing budget efficiency by avoiding additional capital expenditures. This initiative is in line with their strategy to maintain operational continuity amidst increasing risks from natural disasters.

IBM Security has unveiled new features for Cloud Pak for Security, enhancing its capabilities for data security management across hybrid cloud environments. These updates include access to six threat intelligence feeds, 25 pre-built connections, and 165 case management integrations, enabling security teams to manage threats from a unified console. The upcoming data security hub, launching in Q4 2020, aims to bridge data security and threat management, potentially reducing breach response times. IBM emphasizes the need for a cohesive approach in a complex security landscape, promoting a zero trust security strategy.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The Climate Service (TCS) announced a strategic alliance on October 14, 2020, aimed at enhancing climate risk analytics for financial institutions and corporations. The TCS Climanomics® software platform is now available on Red Hat OpenShift via IBM Cloud, facilitating consistent climate risk reporting aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. This partnership aims to help organizations quantify climate risks, integrate insights into decision-making, and drive competitive resilience.

On October 12, 2020, IBM showcased its new natural language processing technology during the debut episode of "That's Debatable" on Bloomberg Television. The series, sponsored by IBM, featured a debate on wealth redistribution among prominent economists and policymakers. Key Point Analysis, developed by IBM Research, analyzed over 3,500 global submissions, revealing that 56% of arguments favored wealth redistribution. The technology aims to enhance business decision-making by summarizing complex data effectively. The episode is available for streaming on Bloomberg.com.

IBM is accelerating its hybrid cloud growth strategy, announcing the spin-off of its Managed Infrastructure Services unit into a new public company, NewCo. This tax-free spin-off, set for completion by the end of 2021, aims to enhance focus and flexibility for both entities. IBM targets a $1 trillion hybrid cloud market and will focus on its open hybrid cloud platform and AI capabilities. NewCo will lead in managed infrastructure services with a $500 billion market opportunity and a $60 billion backlog. Preliminary third-quarter results indicate revenues of $17.6 billion, with earnings anticipated at $1.89 per share.

IBM has announced three new AI products aimed at enhancing advertising solutions while prioritizing user privacy. The launch, revealed at Advertising Week's digital event, aims to assist brands in navigating the evolving advertising landscape disrupted by cookie elimination and increased demand for transparency. Key innovations include the IBM Watson Advertising Accelerator, Attribution, and Predictive Audiences. IBM plans to partner with industry leaders such as Xandr/AT&T and Magnite to facilitate AI integration throughout the advertising ecosystem, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing trust in the advertising space.

On October 5, 2020, IBM announced that the Bank of Thailand successfully launched the world’s first blockchain-based platform for government savings bonds, issuing $1.6 billion in just two weeks. This innovative platform, leveraging IBM Cloud, significantly accelerates bond issuance from 15 days to just 2 days, while also reducing operational costs and complexities. Collaborating with eight institutions, the initiative enhances transparency and efficiency in bond transactions. The Bank of Thailand aims to extend this blockchain technology to all government bonds to benefit retail and wholesale investors.

IBM has announced the launch of IBM Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) in collaboration with Fenergo, aimed at improving client onboarding for financial institutions. This solution integrates IBM Watson's AI and analytics via the IBM Cloud to enhance personalization, risk assessment, and compliance. Research indicates that incomplete onboarding can extend from two to 12 weeks, leading to penalties if regulations are not met. This partnership aims to streamline these processes, allowing institutions to focus on customer needs while ensuring compliance.

A recent IBM study reveals that nearly 60% of global C-suite executives are accelerating digital transformations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings indicate that while many organizations have overcome traditional barriers, significant gaps remain between executive perspectives and employee experiences, particularly in skills development and health support. The study highlights a 20% increase in prioritization for cloud and AI technologies over the next two years. Additionally, executives are urged to focus on empathetic leadership and the well-being of employees to foster productivity amidst ongoing disruptions.