Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

  1. Home
  2. Data-centers
  3. Ibm-pulse2011-conference-helping-enterprises-get-smarter
  4. Page
  5. IBM Pulse2011 Conference: Helping Enterprises Get Smarter: Page 3 of 3
Data Centers

IBM Pulse2011 Conference: Helping Enterprises Get Smarter: Page 3 of 3

Yogi Berra is quoted as saying, "This is like deja vu all over again," and that is what last week's IBM Pulse2011 conference in Las Vegas felt like. The event had the same title, "The Premier Service Management Event," and the subtitle, "Optimizing the World's Infrastructure," as last year's conference. This year's conference also had essentially the same message, with some exceptions, such as an emphasis on Smarter Computing. But that is not a bad thing. As was noted many times during Pulse2011
DAVID HILL
March 23, 2011

Dean Kamen, inventor extraordinaire, was the keynote speaker at the Monday Pulse2011 session. Kamen is best known for the Segway Human Transporter, but his focus has primarily been on health-related items, such as an insulin pump and a prosthetic arm. Kamen leads one to believe that Thomas Edison is not dead; he has just been reincarnated. IBM gave Kamen time to describe FIRST (For Inspiration of Science and Technology), which he founded, and I want to provide some space, as well. FIRST has been very motivational for nearly 20 years in getting students inspired by science and technology, with the hope that they will seek careers in related fields. Since we need more scientists and engineers, this is a very worthwhile program, and you may very well want to learn more and possibly contribute your time and energy. Check it out for more details.

That conferences such as Pulse2011 are not only alive and well, but thriving and growing is a good thing, as they qualify as barometers for the IT world in which we all play a part. IBM's ISM vision certainly provides a panoramic view of where IT infrastructure is going, as well as of where the physical infrastructures on which businesses depend are headed.

However, we have to keep everything in perspective. One Pulse2011 speaker cited a quote attributed to William Gibson: "The future is now--it's just not very evenly distributed." That certainly is true. Some organizations will be further advanced on some dimensions of ISM than others. It is also true that some of the more advanced concepts have not been adopted by any organization yet, as their time is still to come. Overall, though, IBM's concept of ISM is a journey that enterprises cannot avoid. Each organization will have to proceed at its own pace. The power of IBM's approach to ISM is that it is both flexible and expansive enough to benefit organizations regardless of their current location.

IBM is currently a client of David Hill and the Mesabi Group.

Tags:

Commentary
Data Centers
Networking