Tag Archives: IBM

Marie Wieck Addresses Mobile Computing Issues: Mobile Devices Change Customer Systems Of Engagement Forever

Posted on by
Reply

Marie Wieck Addresses Mobile Computing Issues: Mobile Devices Change Customer Systems Of Engagement Forever

By Susan Eustis

Mobile is everywhere. Marie Wieck and IBM have evolved a forward looking, effective way for businesses to use software tools to implement customer systems of engagement. These IBM systems and tools are far ahead of anything competitors offer. In terms of sophistication, integration, ease of use, and effective business implementation, the tools represent a dramatic improvement in business reach to customers.

Mobile devices change customer systems of engagement forever. There is more interaction possible. In 2013, there are 6 billion connected mobile devices. Of these, the 1.6 billion smart phones are set to grow to 6 billion installed smart phones by 2018, illustrating that strong growth in the overall number of connected smart devices is expected. The capture and organization of data from mobile devices represents significant opportunity for IBM to analyze information and provide information back out to consumers. Once IBM systems can be used to collect information from the devices and from sensors located everywhere there is a need and opportunity to make that information useful.

Marie Wieck is the General Manager, WebSphere Software at IBM. In this role, she manages application development and mission critical messaging product sets in the context of cloud computing initiatives. The application and integration middleware business unit in IBM Software is core to business initiatives and to supporting innovation worldwide. In the general manager role, Marie Wieck leads an organization of 7,000 software development, marketing, services, and sales professionals. She has oversight for IBM’s WebSphere software portfolio including web application servers, transaction and messaging systems, integration, and business process management solutions. Marie is a leader in key strategic initiatives for IBM, including cloud and enterprise mobile technologies. She is a mentor to her employees and very much a family person.

At the Pulse meeting Marie Wieck talked about how mobile devices need to be leveraged with customer systems of engagement. The primary consumer engagement is the mobile device. Mobile devices change how businesses interact with their customers. IBM is embracing the opportunity to engage in a more modern manner. This positions IBM with a significant winning proposition in the market. The product set is well thought out and manages end points in a seamless, meaningful manner, providing significant competitive advantage to the company. Mobile systems of engagement from IBM are superior to any others on the market.

Mobile systems of engagement change the nature of business transactions, because on the go transactions change the nature of commerce. Mobile devices that are cloud enabled create multiple channels for any single transaction. They permit research on web multichannel integration. They permit use of analytics to understand the customer and what is driving the customer. The businesses that are leveraging systems of customer engagement need the support of brand consistency.

Building brand loyalty is a priority for companies. Systems of customer engagement are evolving the ability to create insight into how people are engaging with the business.

Analytics can be used to describe how customers interact with the business. People, employees, are interconnected using social media software systems. Connected sensors, connected vehicles, connected manufacturing operations, connected electric grids, and connected utilities are part of mobile device interactions with customers.

Mobile devices can be used to affect how customers interact with in store presentations of products for sale. Analytics can be used to determine trends. Customers can be reached more effectively by centering efforts around mobile. Key opportunities relate to understanding common threads in consumer experience.

Mobile devices provide information to businesses that provide primary context aware systems. Network access is relevant to finding new ways of growing productivity. Systems of engagement are part of social and mobile device management. Analytics are used to drive the new experiences, new channels, and to provide new customer insights. IBM mobile systems permit sharing the art of the possible with the analytics that support direct customer engagements in new ways.

IBM understands that unified device management is key to reaching customers. All business is about reaching customers, so the IBM software systems are core to business operations. As the 6 billion mobile connected devices become even more useful with more apps, there is a need to stand up infrastructure to deploy apps using existing Windows and PC connectivity. This is central to providing manageability, to having the ability to control mobile devices. The IBM systems permit end point management with existing APIs, do not require development of new APIs for every different device, creating significant competitive advantage for the IBM Company.

Marie Wieck described how IBM has instantiated systems that will be usable for businesses as mobile devices continue to proliferate.

Smarter Physical Infrastructure: Neil Roberts from Yarra Trams Describes Transportation Smarter Physical Infrastructure Best Practice

Posted on by
Reply

Smarter Physical Infrastructure: Neil Roberts from Yarra Trams Describes Transportation Smarter Physical Infrastructure Best Practice

By Susan Eustis

Trains and buses, trams and cars, advanced analytics is delivering real time automation and control of physical transportation infrastructure. Smarter physical infrastructure technology is being used to optimize the world’s infrastructure. The Melbourne tram network operated by Yarra Trams is the largest for operating trams. IBM is helping the Yarra Trams maintain disparate technology. Sensors provide ways to bring new and innovative solutions to asset management and services delivery.

Smarter physical infrastructure is used to break down silos using cloud based systems to implement safety for passengers, bicycles, and cars. Safety in the operations of tram systems results in continuous improvement. The systems from IBM are simple and effective for creating the best tram system in the world. The ability to continually monitor systems is part of smarter physical infrastructure systems implementation.

IT has emerged as a key enabler for implementing systems that address core values of service excellence and customer communication necessary in modern transportation systems. In the case of smarter physical infrastructure, public safety is able to combine Facebook and social media information with calls for help from the tram operators. IT enablement is able to meet challenges of issuing work orders in a timely manner.

Smarter infrastructure is used to manage the velocity of change. Centers of innovation are used to help reinvent customer relationships using smarter infrastructure. IT business partnerships help companies align with business imperatives, leveraging smarter infrastructure.

Smarter infrastructure use cases relate to examination of trams in distress. Take for example a person in a sunny pool transposed into a tram underwater into a severe rainstorm in Melbourne. The first task is to call the fleet operations center. Systems for the tram operator are in place to monitor ongoing events in the system. Video screens are used to look at what is going on with a particular operator.

These systems are used to get help for the tram in three feet of water. It is not going anywhere for a while. Systems are in place to raise a service request immediately. The systems can quickly ascertain what the problem is, where it is located, and automate the process of issuing a work order. Automated systems can be used to get disruption notifications out to the problem resolution network.

Citizens are served with a tram tracker. The tram tracker is continuously publishing information on twitter so that tram riders know that something is going wrong and furthermore what is going wrong. This provides a level of happiness with the tram system that cannot be achieved in any other manner. It helps build customer satisfaction in a manner that is not achievable in any other manner.

This example of IBM implementation of smarter infrastructure provides a compelling vision of what will be possible for improving transportation systems worldwide.

Smarter Physical Infrastructure Puerto De Cartagena Container Management

Posted on by
Reply

Smarter Physical Infrastructure Puerto De Cartagena Container Management

By Susan Eustis

IBM has been instrumental in creating smarter physical infrastructure for the shipping port Puerto De Cartagena. Container management has been automated by IBM in a remarkable achievement of systems automation creating smarter physical infrastructure. Puerto De Cartagena container management is implemented as a joint effort between IBM and the port as the port is getting ready to respond to the expansion of the Panama Canal.

The cargo that comes into Puerto De Cartagena is going back out to the world after containers are shifted from one ship to another. Smart infrastructure is needed as the port implements efficient nonstop services. This implementation involves trucks and cranes, ships and split second timing of managing the shipping containers. Smart infrastructure is supporting the ability of the port to handle a complex shipping problem as well as readying itself to manage larger vessels.

Operational challenges relate to synchronizing trucks, cranes, ships, for bringing containers to the designated spot. Queuing the containers to load them every two minutes without backups 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year is a challenge. Every truck and train is equipped with a handheld electronic device. Messages are sent to devices. The messages are transmitted by IT. In this manner, automation controls the situation.

Asset management challenges relate to availability of containers, trucks, cranes, and ships in a manner dictated by the smarter infrastructure software systems. Training is a key aspect of smarter infrastructure systems implementation.

Every crane driver has to be trained. The drivers and the crane operators need to learn how to use the smarter infrastructure technologies. They need to learn how to use the monitoring tools. The most important aspect of smarter infrastructure is in getting information in a timely manner and first hand so the automated systems can determine what is happening to make better use of the sophisticated, complex infrastructure.

Making the physical infrastructure transparent relates to designing with very simple processes, putting all the tools in place, and training the people. Deploying the technology in a simple manner that the end user can implement is key to organization success Security intelligence brings information into a system that provides proactive preemptive security.

Leaders in industry are implementing smarter infrastructure based on the art of the possible. Things being done in the organization depend on sharing information and expertise. IBM has implemented smarter physical infrastructure in a manner that is transparent ot the users, simple to use and implement, and able to handle the enormous complexity that ensues from the need to implement split second timing in a very large port. This is done in an efficient manner that brings significant operational savings to the port. Kudos are sent out to IBM and to the port Puerto De Cartagena IT department. They have been able to implement a thoughtful, significant upgrade of physical infrastructure.

IBM, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Interactive Care Insights for Oncology

Posted on by
Reply

by Susan Eustis

IBM and Memorial Sloan-Kettering introduced the first commercially based products based on Watson next generation innovative computing system. Products are innovations that represent a breakthrough. Medical professionals can apply advances in analytics and natural language processing to individual patient diagnostic and treatment situations. IBM and Memorial Sloan-Kettering announcement is surely the most exciting product announcement of the year and possibly of the decade.

IBM, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Interactive Care Insights for Oncology offers next-generation cognitive computing advances. Medical expertise has finally reached the forefront of automated process. As Watson brings next-generation cognitive computing advances to healthcare services quantum improvements in care delivery become possible.

IBM Watson moves cancer treatment advances to the forefront of worldwide availability. Much remains to be done. The integration of systems with clinical facility workflow remains to evolve. Clinicians receive the information easily and accept Watson as a very knowledgeable assistant. Watson offers recognized value.

IBM big data initiatives are combined with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering clinical knowledge base. Genomic data is used to create evidence based decision support systems. The products include the Interactive Care Insights for Oncology, powered by Watson, in collaboration with IBM, Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

Watson offers Interactive Care Insights for Oncology. The cognitive systems use insights gleaned from the deep experience of Memorial Sloan-Kettering clinicians. Watson is positioned to permit clinicians to provide individualized treatment.

More options are based on patient medical information. IBM Watson in combination with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has information that represents the synthesis of a vast array of updated and vetted treatment. It is able to compute individual treatment guidelines. This represents a revolution in cancer treatment care and presages a major revolution in all healthcare treatment and diagnosis.

Because Watson is able to leverage published research it can stay more current than any clinician or group of clinicians can.

Watson-is a cognitive computing system. The aim of Watson is to streamline the healthcare delivery process. Watson supports the healthcare decision making process. The system has the ability to ensure evidence-based care is provided.

Watson has ingested 600,000+ pieces of medical evidence, two million pages of text from 42 medical journals, and the patient results from oncology research clinical trials. Watson is in the process of sifting through 1.5 million patient records representing decades of cancer treatment history. Medical records and patient outcomes are being fed into Watson.

This information treasure provides the ability to provide physicians with evidence based treatment options. Opinions can be provided seconds.

Marie Wieck, GM, IBM Application & Integration Middleware Takes on Mobile Markets

Posted on by
Reply

by Susan Eustis
Marie Wieck, GM, Application & Integration Middleware talked about IBM Mobile Enterprise at the Steve Mills software event in late 2012. Marie emphasized that IBM has found a way to include wireless devices in enterprise software development and positioning. She described how IBM drives leadership in e-business by providing software that promotes ease of use and is intuitive to use while still maintaining mission critical strength in the background. IBM is investing in mobile with a broad, bold strategy to be first to market with the mission critical and security features that support enterprise innovation. Marie Wieck described how the IBM portfolio is positioned to drive industry growth. IBM has gained momentum by delivering a rich set of mobile solutions.

This IBM mobile platform is based on an integrated product and service offering. IBM clients are achieving significant business value based on a comprehensive end-to-end solution. Mobile enterprise platform and key offerings allow them to quickly address specific entry-point needs including BYOD and devices. Application and network management is used to achieve cross-platform application development. Transformation of the customer and employee mobile experience is a core aspect of innovation.

IBM has been able to achieve a dominant position in this market through it insights.

IBM Mobile Momentum
• Over a Million Devices Under Management
• Over 200 Mobile Business Partners
• Reached 100,000 Individuals Through Marketing Programs
• Over 25,000 Participating in Mobile DeveloperWorks Community
• 7500 Downloads of Worklight
• Tripled Development Investment
• Over 300 New Customers

This is a significant achievement for the IBM marketing and development team. It demonstrates significant leadership and bodes well for continued dominance of the enterprise mobile market by IBM.

I.B.M’s Watson is at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University

Posted on by
Reply

by Susan Eustis

I.B.M’s Watson is at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University for training. Watson is a natural language computer that is loaded with information about treating patients, about symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, and medical research. The collaboration between IBM and the Cleveland Clinic represents an effort by IBM to get the Cleveland clinicians and medical school students to make Watson more able to answer clinician questions accurately. By answering Watson’s questions and correcting its mistakes, Watson is better trained as a clinician.

Dr. James K. Stoller, chairman of the Education Institute at Cleveland Clinic is cooperating with IBM on the project. Watson is positioned as a smart assistant to clinicians. Watson is trained by providing questions and using the answers to those questions to train the computer, then testing the computer by asking questions from the United States Medical Licensing Exam. This exam is one which every human student must pass to become a practicing physician. The benefit for Watson should be to measure its progress in being able to answer a set of questions accurately based on its machine-learning technology.

Once trained, Watson is positioned to be able to help physicians cope with the rapid pace of new medical research. Existing knowledge in medicine is current for from four to eight years on most topics. After that, it’s obsolete. What was learned in medical school loses accuracy and can be supplemented by Watson.

Watson provides medical knowledge by offering a complex base of information available in a natural language format. The goal for Watson is to move beyond presenting questions, to getting answers back. Symptoms, vital signs, family history, medications taken, genetic makeup, diet and exercise regimens all play a part in getting good answers.

At the Cleveland Clinic, clinicians and students will answer and correct Watson’s questions, in an attempt to jump start and improve Watsoon’s current educational status.

IBM Mobile Enterprise Launch Captures Customer Service Opportunity

Posted on by
Reply

by Susan Eustis

IBM mobile enterprise launch captures customer service opportunity in a comprehensive manner, like no other vendor offering. IBM has embraced mobile capabilities for the enterprise recognizing that mobile smart phones and tablets are changing how people spend their time and interact. IBM research indicates that customers who shop on tablets tend to spend 20% more than those who shop on computers. Thus the motivation for creating systems for the retail industry that lets software developers tailor offerings to mobile devices.

IBM estimates that by the end of 2012, mobile transactions will have increased 50% over the prior year. 90% of mobile users keep their device within arm’s reach 100% of the time and customers who shop on tablets tend to spend 20% more than those who shop on computers. IBM WebSphere products provide a winning combination of functionality and security for the enterprise software developers, providing application server capability that is integrated with the most modern presentation logic for the mobile devices.

IBM is leading the way in supporting tele-health. The WebSPhere product brand provides seamless interactions among physicians and providers, improving quality of care, patient safety and efficiency, improving patient experience. The launch illustrated security features and context: Context was illustrated following, showing two different scenarios. The IBM software can let a mobile phone understand the context in which the device is being used as follows:

 On-site inside emergency room
 On the hospital network
 Authorized doctor on shift
 Function: All app features
 Data: Full data access and storage
 Security: Single-factor authentication
 Context
 At coffee shop
 On an unsecured network
 Authorized doctor on call
 Function: Designated features only
 Data: Specific encrypted data
 Security: Multi-factor authentication
Governance and security are key aspects of the IBM offering. We are waiting still for more mainframe integration and better implementation of modern cloud systems, but this is a good start. The virtualization systems have a ways to go.

Smart phone markets are set to explode, from 1.6 billion devices in 2012, the market will go to 6 billion devices in use by 2018. Tablets already outnumber PCs in yearly sales. This provides plenty of motivation for all enterprises to get in on the action and start developing software that is unique to the mobile devices.

Steve Mills Talks at IBM IOD About Driving Business Outcomes

Posted on by
Reply

Steve Mills Talks at IBM IOD About Driving Business Outcomes

By Susan Eustis

Steve Mills is an erudite leader of the IT industry.  Steve Mills is senior Vice President and Group Executive for IBM Software and Systems.  As he conversed at IBM IOD on a panel, he was relaxed and compelling in his knowledge of the IT industry and in his grasp of what matters to customers.  Steve Mills talked about driving business outcomes.

Investment is motivated by anticipated favorable business outcomes.   Favorable business outcomes are achieved by business IT systems as much as anything.   The technology is subservient to the customer use of technoloogy.  Steve Mills was leading the audience to appreciate that IBM has hundreds of customers as speakers at this IOD conference, to appreciate their value, their business value not the technology.

Big data is an elusive term to some, Steve Mills describes it as the ability to manage the massive quantities of information and create intelligence out of chaos.  There is so much data being created that it is difficult to know what to do with it.

Steve Mills described the overwhelming majority of big data projects as extensions of existing efforts to ingest more info and do a better job of analyzing and improving business results.  The aim of the new IBM systems is to go beyond what can be done on the worldwide web and discern consumer sentiment among other things.

Big data projects represent more than scraping the web, they represent efforts to manage infrastructure, to do a better job of interpreting the data that is coming into an organization from a range of information sources.  The era of big data is unfolding in transportation, energy, and healthcare as well as in the traditional markets of banking, finance, and insurance.  It is being used to make governments run better.  It is being used in the IBM smarter planet initiatives.

Streaming data ingested in real time is being used to drive better results for business.  IBM has a comprehensive portfolio in this space, able to provide systems integration and provide access to data no matter where it may be.  Steve Mills is a primary architect of the systems, supported by the intelligent and compelling team at IBM.  Steve Mills is an articulate descriptor of the business value to be derived from implementation of the big data analytics systems.

 

Rod Adkins Describes Smarter Planet

Posted on by
Reply

Rod Adkins Describes Smarter Planet

By Susan Eustis

Rod Adkins is Senior Vice President of IBM Systems And Technology Group.  He is Senior Vice President of IBM integrated supply chain.  Rod has had a distinguished career dedicated to improving IT technology in profoundly innovative ways.  At the Smarter Computing Executive Summit in PineHurst North Carolina on October 3, 2012, Rod described opportunities and challenges in new era of IT.    With smarter computing, system design matters, and Rod has motivated and inspired his IBM design teams to achieve new systems that provide next generation data center evolution.

IBM smarter systems provide profound improvements in business advantage.   Capabilities provide a comprehensive portfolio. Systems provide the ability to support investment in innovation.  Capabilities in IT smarter computing infrastructure make a difference.

Rod talked about the coming of 1 trillion connected devices by 2015 and the profound effect this is going to have on the ability to manage our surroundings in a smarter way.   The existence of more connected devices has been but one aspect of the explosion in data.  Overall, 90% of data has been created in the last 2 years.  There is the anticipation that there will be 8x growth in unstructured data in next 5 years.

Rod talked about the polling of CEOs that indicates that 80% of applications will be deployed on cloud infrastructure.    Tuning systems end to end is a key aspect of new smarter computing systems.

Retail, medical computing, banking, public safety, and entertainment industries are among the segments most using smarter computing.   Market opportunities are being created in a new era of IT.   Analytics are a fundamental aspect of social media.  The aim is to understand the meaning of the data that is being generated.  Twitter and unstructured data provide ways to understand how people operate and how they respond to trends.

Natural language processing helps enterprises organize to adapt to technology forces.  The movie industry is positioning to be able to react to  social media comments to help managers think about what movies are likely to succeed.  The managers are using social media analytics to understand what people are thinking.  Data centers provide social media analytics.  Rod spoke about analytics that have the ability to take a look at millions of tweets over a period of two hours  to achieve insight into what people are thinking.  For example, analytics showed that the fans had a better knowledge about super bowl thinking than the analysts did.  The fans favored Eli Manning while the analysts had a different perspective.

A use of analytics on Twitter is equivalent to a focus group of one million people.  This gives a perspective that is more representative and more useful than what has previously been available.  These analytics systems are achieving an fundamental transformation of the entertainment industry.  It is anticipated the same analytics will be useful for analyzing mountains of data in a range of industries.

Business advantage is created through use of data analytics.  Analysis is used to translate raw data into business insights.

Rod Adkins described IT mega trends.  IT supplies systems that support adoption of cloud computing.   63% of enterprises are using some form of Cloud computing,  up 49% from last  year.

Information is a key strategic asset.  Security is a critical IT requirement.  Over 5 years there has been a 68% increase in the cost lost data.

Rod Adkins talked at the smarter computing system executive summit about the dual advantages provided to IT by consolidation and integration.     He provided a road-map of the changing landscape of a data center.    Smarter computing systems create a challenge and present an opportunity moving forward.

System design matters.  IBM offers a comprehensive portfolio of systems capabilities.  IBM has invested to deliver innovation.  In 2011 it invested over $6 billion and was granted 6000 patents.  The systems and technology group has invested $3 billion and had close to 3,000 patents, twice as many as the competitors got.

IBM is moving forward to implement an acquisition strategy for platform computing.     Texas Memory Instruments is a recent acquisition that permits IBM to achieve inclusion of flash storage and flash memory in systems.  Flash memory is useful for improving paging during compute intensive operations.   Flash memory is useful for managing energy.   Managing energy and creating an attractive power profile of systems is accomplished by leveraging flash to provide an organic development of future systems.

Flossie, My Mother’s Best Friend

Posted on by
1

Flossie

by Susan Huhn Eustis
There is a new book: Flossie. This is a lovely book edited by her charming daughter Cynthia. Flossie was my mother’s best friend. Flossie, Florence Norton had a voice that was international and lasting. The commentary about the mother from the daughter ring true. Form someone who knew them both, I found the words revealing, insightful and true to the spirit of the woman Flossie.

She was a remarkable woman, dedicated to creating global peace, to developing an international awareness inside the US. Florence Norton worked for global peace, ultimately influencing in some fundamental ways the formation of the Globally Integrated Enterprise.

If you want to buy the book, it is available from:  Chautauqua Bookstore at 716 357 2151 or ciweb.org.  We highly recommend it.

The mark that Florence Norton made on the world is significant. Trained as a diplomat at an early age, trailing after her urbane father, Florence worked tirelessly throughout her life to support the international peace efforts that are personified by the United Nations and the John Lennon song Imagine. She worked to have an effect locally all over the world with the American Field Service bringing foreign students into American homes and US students into foreign homes for a year, fostering peace in a local way year after year. She and her daughter Cynthia were encouraged and supported in this work by her friends including Tom and Mary Huhn and their children.

It is hard to imagine that the trip Florence made to Russia, just before detente did not help bring detente about. The timing of the trip coincided with detente. The seasoned, charming, elegant presence of Florence Norton, along with her friends from Chautauqua, in that cold diplomatic Russian air must have brought refreshing confidence that the world is comprised of people and that we all need to work together to get along.

Globalization starts locally Florence always used to say. Steve Huhn took this seriously when at IBM he started the very first enterprise team that was conprised of people from all nations. He did this at IBM, working closely with Sam Palmisano in the global services organizatiion. Steve worked with Sam, he grew to understand the significance of how powerful a truly global business model can be.

The international aspect of business taken by Steve originated with Florence Norton, Paul Norton, Tom Huhn, his father, and Mary Huhn, Steve’s mother. Just as Florence and Tom Huhn had mentored Steve. Sam, later as CEO of IBM went on to invent the globally integrated enterprise where teams for people routinely are comprised of people from different nations, it is hard to imagine that it was such an event when Steve started the first enterprise team of people from many different countries. This had not been done before.

New World Order Built On The Globally Integrated Enterprise

Now, markets for goods and services are truly global. We are all loyal to our local roots, and marketing is constructed as taking into account the local influences, but the goods and services are remarkably similar throughout the world. This is a major change from the 1980s.

Automated process for language translation and the Internet contribute to making the world flat. Nations and enterprises operate within nations and across nations. People have more control now they con communicate on facebook and twitter. Businesses are seeking to achieve competitive advantage, not to make nationalistic war.

There is a new world order built on the globally integrated enterprise. 1,500 large enterprises operate in 120 countries or more, representing a shift to local presence, managed centrally. This ability to operate across national borders is relatively new, becoming mature with the start of the commercial Internet in 1995.

The shift from nationalistic priorities to terrorist scenarios represents a compelling shift in military ways of operations planning and execution. Robots and robotic unmanned ground vehicles change the nature of war. They make it possible to conduct war as more of a police action, cooperating with civilian populations and searching for the terrorists, the disruptive parts of the population. Civilian populations become a group that can be protected. War becomes a strategy of looking for the terrorists, of seeking out and stopping terrorist activities.

We no longer tolerate bombing or shooting at civilians, if we ever did. But, nationalistic wars are dropping out of sight, being replaced by targeted attacks on identifiable terrorist activities. We are looking for terrorists and trying to stop terrorist activities. The terrorists target civilians in order to create terror, but the military needs to target terrorists and protect civilians in order to get their job done effectively. Robots help in this task by sending robots instead of soldiers into dangerous places.

Market driving forces for military robots continue to leverage the existence of globally integrated enterprises that do business in 160 countries. With at least twenty $100 billion per year multinational globally integrated enterprises, the world is no longer defined by nationalism. GE, Fujitsu, Siemens, IBM, Hewlett Packard, are all companies with a global footprint. This mammoth enterprise effort has changed the nature of war.

War is an activity directed toward identifying and eliminating the bad guys, the terrorists. Military robots provide a means of achieving defensive strategic advantage and advancing parity and victory in situations that compromise the safety of civilian populations.

The world is no longer defined by nationalistic loyalties, it is defined by jobs creation and marketing, it is defined by multinational teams seeking to achieve market penetration of a well defined, ever changing product set. It is defined by consumers worldwide who buy pretty much the same cars, TVs, food, computers, and electronics as the other guys.

As we notice these trends toward international collaboration and the globally integrated enterprise that transcends nationalistic endeavor, it is good to stay grounded and realize that Flossie had a role in bringing this about. We may feel little and inconsequential, and modest, but efforts to achieve what is right can pay off in unexpected ways that are truly significant.

–