Technology Cycles and Business Efficiency
A Little Background
My grandfather’s first job was at IBM. He worked his entire career there until he retired. From what he told me, his early years were spent working on true Business Machines. He shared many, many stories of situations that happened to him during his travels working for IBM. Working on the different types of machines was his passion and his memories were always interesting to me. The machines were mostly mechanical and designed to handle paper, punch cards and clocks.
He was very passionate about fixing things and he was proud of his ability to do so for IBM. When IBM released personal computers my grandfather was an early adopter. Fortunately for me, he introduced me to the PC and this in large part was the inspiration for me ever since. How Think Tech got started is a story for another day, today I wanted to talk about what we have learned over the years from the many reincarnations of ‘big blue’ IBM.
My Perspective
Through IBM’s Employee Stock Program my grandfather acquired IBM stock. When we were kids occasionally he and my grandmother would give us a share of stock for Christmas. As kids we were not so thrilled to receive a stock certificate, however, we were assured that it was a very valuable gift. Ever since then, I have always received the IBM stockholder annual reports. As a kid, I didn’t know what the reports meant, but over the years I found great interest in the messages written in the annual reports. Of course, there is all of the financial and regulatory information included, but there is also always a message from the Chairman/CEO about the present and the future of IBM.
When the most recent annual report arrived, I opened it and skimmed it as I usually do. This year the message was especially interesting to me because it described the reinvention changes that IBM is going through in order to adapt to the market. The report also points out that IBM has been up and down the technology wave many times and through many generations of technology. IBM has preserved as many of these cycles as any company in technology today.
IBM and Think Tech
Unmistakably IBM is Enterprise and globally focused, however, I think that this same concept also applies to Think Tech as a technology provider to small and mid-market clients. The technology and techniques by which we approach business and technology efficiency will always change. At a seminar that I attended last fall, Paul Dippell, a thought leader for IT solutions companies, pointed out that we as IT providers today are not in the business of change, we are in the business of change management.
As a business technology provider, we constantly review and evaluate the products that we recommend and support. One of the most important criteria for this evaluation would be the expected lifespan of any given infrastructure technology or industry trend. There is no single solution that will remain constant over long periods of time. Technology providers will always be changing, adapting and improving. However, it is necessary to select technology platforms which will provide stability during these waves of change. If one were to pursue every new technology the moment that it becomes available (innovators/early adopters) reasonable efficiencies would never be achievable. Operating in a constant state of change would negate the efficiencies achieved through familiarity and knowledge.
Technology Shift
Back to IBM as the example, they have embraced many different business platforms over the years. While these platforms have constantly transformed and changed IBM embraced their most popular concepts for many years. IBM’s timing decisions may be debatable, but ultimately transitions have been accomplished into other more current technology platforms. Some quick examples of the technology shift of IBM would be AS400, Windows/Intel servers, Laptops/Desktops, global services, outsourced help desk, and now Watson and the IBM cloud.
“At Think Tech we are not trying to copy or become IBM, nevertheless, we constantly evolve the technology platforms that we recommend through careful research and testing. We are able to achieve efficiencies, knowledge, and support by standardizing on these products in every way possible. This efficiency translates into more expert level and faster service for our clients.”
Ed Burton
President, Think Tech Advisors
