From IBM website, courtesy of Yahoo!:
www-1.ibm.com
Searching for Business Soul Mates
Washington Technology (07/15/02) Vol. 17, No. 8, P. 26(Welsh, William)
The market for homeland security products and services has fueled increased business alliances between integrators and niche technology firms. IBM and Xybernaut, for example, teamed to manufacture the Mobile Assistant V, which IBM is incorporating into its line of products targeting government agencies. Xybernaut specializes in building wearable computers and had valuable expertise that IBM could tap for greater insight in the market. "With that knowledge of the industry comes...in-depth knowledge of customers' needs," explains Kent Blossom, IBM Global Services director for public-sector safety and security.
Blossom says IBM had to strengthen its process for evaluating potential partners following the surge of proposals it received concerning homeland security. "We had to get organized and take a consolidated look at these requests. We wanted something that was reasonably quick, fair, and equitable and that would yield [business advantages]," he says. After Sept. 11, IBM has been on the lookout for companies with core competencies in biometrics, smart cards, video surveillance, wearable computers, and wireless data-sharing systems.
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