Customer tastes and preferences are changing fast. Today's customer is constantly connected, has increasing environmental awareness, has a need for broader skills, and has unique local requirements.
- Constantly connected: Today people connect to others through new media like social networks and text messaging. Smart SOA can help you adopt new methods to connect tightly to the customer, collaborate in new ways, personalize your relationship and let people work in the way they prefer. Web 2.0 and SOA can provide a rich customer experience in an innovative and cost-effective way. IBM is providing new and enhanced tools for connecting with customers. The IBM Mashup Center (US) offers easier experimentation and validation with IBM Lotus Mashups and IBM InfoSphere MashupHub. IBM WebSphere Portal (US) provides a richer, more responsive user interface. IBM WebSphere sMash (US) is an easy and agile development platform; for example, widgets are being created by business users. IBM Rational Application Developer (US) provides enhanced Web 2.0 development tools for an intuitive developer experience.
- Meeting green requirements: (US) Taking a Smart SOA approach can help with green initiatives by making processes more efficient and reducing energy consumption to improve the bottom line. Take advantage of IBM's new and enhanced insight, communication, and best practices on green initiatives by industry, and on topics like carbon management and social responsibility. Tools are available to measure progress towards becoming a green business.
- New customer skills: IBM provides innovative methods and services to help your new customers with interdisciplinary and role-based skills. Smart SOA Social Network (US) is a global community to build skills that blend business and IT, share best practices and solve problems, based on roles from analysts to academia. Interactive media make learning fun. The Innov8 video game (US) builds BPM skills, and is being piloted at more than 100 universities. Build skills and experience SOA first-hand with our risk-free trial of the Smart SOA Sandbox (US), available through cloud-based services. This trial is more than use of software for free. It includes business patterns, best practices and use cases specific to your industry and based on green scenarios, which provide a powerful platform for new customers to evaluate options.
- IBM Business Partners: Today's customers have unique, localized needs that demand customized assistance to match. More than 7,000 SOA community Business Partners (US) provide skills in their geographies, and IBM Global Business Services (US) provides a network of 22,000 SOA experts.
