Here comes a Smart Business platform from IBM

PUNE, INDIA: IBM, a provider in IT services, announced on Tuesday, the availability of ‘IBM Smart Business’, a breakthrough way for small and medium businesses to acquire, use and manage technology that is radically simple.

Through the introduction of Smart Business, IBM aims to fuel the growth of the businesses by delivering ready-to-use IT that is easy to implement, operate and grow, said a press release. It is considered a new computing paradigm for SMBs in India, it added.

The Smart Business delivers a pre-integrated solution with all the fundamental technology required to run a business with no manuals required. It provides an access to a Web-based community and marketplace to acquire new business applications, and web-delivered collaborative services immediately ready to support a business, such as access to remote (cloud-based) application services like managed security and hosted back-up and recovery, the release said.

“IBM’s ambitious vision for small and medium businesses, stakes out a clear leadership strategy that embraces new technologies, open standards and Web 2.0 capabilities,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, director, General Business, IBM India/South Asia.

“We will deliver the industry’s most desirable IT experience for small and medium business – delighting our clients with a wide choice of optimized applications; powerful, industry-standard business systems with built-in security and business resiliency; and a single point of contact for service and support.”

With Smart Business, healthcare providers and component manufacturers would be able to grow their businesses by increasing capabilities not complexity, and building connections to a community of others in their industry, the release said.

The Smart Business would be available in India beginning November 21, 2008, it added.