Global Archive Solutions Center launches in Guadalajara Mexico!

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Today was a special day! IBM launched the world's first "Global Archive Solutions Center" in Guadalajara, Mexico.We had a formal "ribbon cutting", shown here were the following dignitaries (from left to right):

• Eugenio Godard, IBM Guadalajara site level executive
• Andy Monshaw, IBM General Manager of IBM System Storage
• Cindy Grossman, IBM VP of Tape and Archive solutions
• Luis Guillermo Martinez Mora, Secretary of economic development for the state of Jalisco, Mexico
• José Décurnex, IBM General Manager for the country of Mexico

In the morning, we had a series of speeches from Cindy Grossman, Andy Monshaw, Eugenio Godard, and Federico Lepe (technology advisor for the governor for the state of Jalisco, Mexico).

While the hordes of press journalists, analysts and clients were taking the lab tour, we took a snap of the front entrance. The day was packed with activity.

• After the lab tour, IBMers Clod Barrera and Craig Butler presented to the analysts.
• Cindy Grossman explained why IBM created a solutions center specific to archive solutions, and why we chose Guadalajara for its location.
• I presented the pains and challenges companies are facing, and why they should partner with IBM for archive solutions to address those requirements

Harley Puckett and I split the group. Harley is my colleague at the IBM Tucson Executive Briefing Center who was the focal point for the various aspects of launching for the past eight months.He presented and moderated the presentations and demos to a collection of prospective clients.

That's me on the left, with Harley on the right.

I moderated a series of speakers to press and analysts. These included:

• Mark LaBelle, Spectrum Health server and storage manager, and Steve Lawrence, Spectrum Health image solutions architect, presented their success story using IBM Grid Medical Archive Solution (GMAS). [Spectrum Health] manages seven hospitals and 130 service locations in Michigan, USA.
• Mark Uren, ABSA technical architect, presented their success story working with IBM in deploying their Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) which includes Enterprise Content Management and archiving. Mark flew in all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa. [ABSA] is the financial services subsidiary of Barclay's serving theAfrican continent.
• Jeffrey Beallor, president of [Global Data Vaulting], presented his success story as both a client and IBM Business Partner, offering backup and archiving solutions through "Software as a Service" (SaaS) business model. GlobalData Vaulting has its data centers in Canada, but provides services to clients worldwide.

We had a Q&A panel with the company representatives from Spectrum Health, ABSA, and Global Data Vaulting; followed by a Q&A panel with the collection of IBM executives to take questions from the press and analysts.Special thanks to Cyntia, Daniela, Carlos, Raul and Salvador for their help in making this a successful event!

(all three photos on this blog post taken by Mauricio, a professional photographer IBM hired for this event)

technorati tags: IBM, Andy Monshaw, Cindy Grossman, GASC, Global Archive, Solutions Center, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Clod Barrera, Spectrum Health, ABSA, Global Data Vaulting, ILM, SaaS, GMAS