A Smarter Planet

The planet will be instrumented, interconnected, intelligent. Peoplae want it. We can do it.

The list of problems is well-known: A financial crisis. Climate disruption. Energy geopolitics. Food supply hazards.

What they show is that we're all connected, today like never before: economically, socially and technically. When a crisis occurs on one part of the planet, it can bring problems to another part, within days or even hours.

Yet this challenge is also an opportunity, and now is the time to seize it. People around the world are ready for change. And the planet is ready for it, too. Today, we are seeing the infusion of intelligence into the way the world literally works - the systems and processes that enable...

physical goods to be developed, manufactured, bought and sold;
services to be delivered;
everything from people and money to oil, water and electrons to move;
and billions of people to work and live.

Three things have brought this about:

The world is becoming instrumented. We now have the ability to measure, sense and see the exact condition of everything. Sensors are being embedded everywhere: in cars, appliances, cameras, roads, pipelines…even in medicine and livestock.
The world is becoming interconnected. People, systems and objects can communicate and interact with each other in entirely new ways.
All things are becoming intelligent. All the instrumented and interconnected things are being linked to powerful new backend systems that can process all the data produced and advanced analytics are capable of turning it into real insight, in real time.

Because we can: the technology is both available and affordable. Because we must: the shocks we've seen to so many systems show that the current approaches aren't sustainable. And because we want to. IBM is starting a conversation with the world because we think now is the time to make these changes for the better.

Smarter Healthcare

Using tools like electronic medical records, mobile computing devices and health support networks, healthcare can be smarter.
Smarter money

Money has been transformed into zeros and ones. It's invisible. It's information. Which is central both to the problem—and to its solution.
Smarter Telecom

Demand is skyrocketing for more and smarter ways to communicate. Our telecommunications need to be instrumented, interconnected and intelligent to keep up.
Smart Infrastructure

As we explore ways to make the world smarter, it raises a question: Why are the IT systems themselves still not as smart they need to be?
Smarter Cities

As populations grow at a fast clip, they are stressing our city infrastructures. Smarter transportation, policing, governance and grids promise relief to urban areas.
Smart Oil

Adding digital intelligence to oilfields can enhance recovery rates, improve productivity, allow virtualized management.