Smarter Products and Services

The era of the one-size-fits-all product comes to an end

Remember when you needed more than a pocket to carry a camera, maps to everywhere and enough music to start your own radio station? Now, it's all in your smart phone, taking up less space than a deck of cards... which the phone can also carry, virtually. Screen a movie, deposit a check by transmitting its picture, accept credit card transactions, do nearly anything on the Internet that a netbook does at four times the size—a smart phone can handle it.

And that's only your phone. Think about how many instrumented, intelligent, interconnected products you interact with and rely on every day.

Innovate or fall behind

From automobiles to military fighter jets to artificial hearts, today’s smarter products represent a new generation of capabilities that fuse software, sensors, actuators, electronics and mechanical systems.

Behind each smarter product, you'll find developers, engineers, suppliers and partners. Software engineering has taken a major role alongside electrical and mechanical engineering, now that more than two-thirds of manufacturers include embedded systems in their products. As customers demand customized, personalized, unique experiences, software drives the innovation.

Yet according to the 2011 IBM Global CIO Study (US), companies cite innovation as a top priority but recognize the inherent complexity behind it—and many don't feel prepared to handle it.

In fact, eight out of ten CEOs anticipate increased complexity ahead; only half say they are prepared to handle it. The difference between success and failure resides in mastering the design, development and management of these products and their related systems throughout their life cycle.

Product development solutions

As a leader in product lifecycle management (PLM) (US), IBM offers the industry expertise, solutions, and secure and scalable infrastructure to provide unique business value through PLM integration, collaboration and technology.

IBM solutions for Integrated Product Management (IPM) (US) are helping product development companies design, deliver and manage smarter products with a focus on the four core client priorities:

• Business planning and transformation
• Product and systems development
• Life cycle collaboration
• Product support

Meet the experts

Listen to the podcast (US)
Integrated product management: design, deliver and manage smarter products

View the webcast
Integrated Product Management: The top four strategies for thriving in the age of smarter products

Read the executive brief
Turning Product Development into Competitive Advantage

Watch the video
Building Smarter Products with Integrated Product Management