IBM launches e-commerce practice focused on retail operation integrationMarch 14, 2011 - 10:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Hoping to grab some of the US$70 billion yearly worldwide market of electronic commerce software and services, IBM has launched an e-commerce practice focused on retail operation integration and analytics. "Through technology, consumers have gotten much more empowered than they have ever been before," for the retail industry, said Craig Hayman, the general manager of IBM Software Industry Solutions, who heads the new practice. As a result, retail companies need more information about how well their products and services are faring in this fiercely competitive marketplace, he argued. IBM's "Smarter Commerce" initiative ties together a number of customized IBM software products and associated services that should help retailers better engage with customers and potential customers. For this initiative, the company has dedicated 1,200 personnel for e-commerce consulting services. It has also assembled a training program for clients and business partners. On the software side, IBM is integrating software from a number of e-commerce tool vendors it has acquired over the past few years. In 2010 alone, IBM spent over $2 billion acquiring e-commerce software vendors. It paid $1.4 billion for Sterling Commerce, which provides software for integrating back-end retail systems. Also last year, IBM acquired Coremetrics, which offered a set of cloud services that analyze how well marketing campaigns worked. Finally, IBM acquired Unica, which provided marketing campaign automation software. IBM also plans to use its own IBM's WebSphere Commerce platform for its e-commerce packages. The combined services and software packages will address e-commerce aspects such as customer tracking, automated marketing, selling and fulfillment, and managing brands, IDG News service reported. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |