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In a bid to cut down cost and time for IT implementation for small and medium business (SMB) across India, global IT solution firm IBM on Tuesday announced the launch of IBM Smart Business. It's a breakthrough way for 5MBs to acquire, use and manage technology in a simplified manner.

"One of the biggest concerns raised by most companies worldwide was the tremendous need to make IT less complex for SMBs," said Ramesh Narasimhan, director (general business) of IBM India-South Asia.

"During the IBM 'Innovation Jam' held two years ago, which saw participation of around 1.5 lakh people from over 100 countries, we at IBM decided to come up with a solution which would make entire IT implementation much easier for these smaller and medium sized companies," he said.

Tuesday's launch in Pune also marks the global launch for IBM's smart business solution. Launched as a pilot for about a month's period, the new age IT solution would see a nationwide launch. Ramesh Narasimhan (left) and Mukul Mathur, at the launch of IBM Smart Business in Pune on Tuesday

The advantages

• No manuals or CDs required for installing and configuring technology
• Pre-integrated technology with all the fundamental technology required to run a business
• Access to web-based community and marketplace to acquire new business applications
• Single point contact for service and support
• Access to remote applications services such as managed security and hosted back-up and recovery.
• Designed to easily upgrade to future technologies like Internet-enabled phones

With the introduction of the smart business solution, IBM aims at fuelling the growth of these businesses by delivering ready-to-use IT that is easy to implement, operate and grow.

"We will offer most desirable IT solutions for 5MBs with a wide choice of optimized applications, powerful industry standard business systems with built-in security and business resiliency and a single point contact for service and support," Narsimhan said.

IBM has so far signed about 14 independent software vendors (ISVs) with 3,500 solutions from India. There are plans to take the total ISV numbers to about 100 by this year-end. IBM has focused the initial launch of smear business on healthcare, textile and manufacturing industries.

Smart Business would be available in India from November 21 and would include three solutions viz. Smart Market, Smart Cube and Smart Desk.

"IBM Smart Business provides SMBs ready-to-use IT that is built on a set of open standard interfaces that makes the installation and applications easy;" said Guruprasad S Rao, head of enterprise solutions group’s Infinite Computer Solutions