Made in IBM Labs: Unlocking Business Insights and Sales Opportunities with Cloud Services

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that its inventors have patented a technique for combining Big Data from distributed cloud services with data stored on local IT systems to gain new insights that can enable businesses to more efficiently and effectively market and serve their customers.

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The cloud computing invention, for which IBM received U.S. Patent #8,504,400: Dynamically Optimized Distributed Cloud Computing-based Business Process Management (BPM) System, provides a method for developing a new breed of enterprise applications that seamlessly combine locally-stored data from business process across an enterprise with cloud-based Big Data. This approach will make it easier to manage business operations and gain new insights by accessing, integrating and analyzing data -- no matter where it is stored.

For example, a retailer can use IBM's invention to tap in-house sales records to analyze customer shopping habits, while combining data from multiple cloud-based services such as online ratings and reviews. This unified approach will enable companies to deliver personalize coupons, offers, promotions via marketing campaigns across a variety of sales channels. All while being able to modify campaigns in real-time.

While a variety of core business data typically is stored on in-house IT systems, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), procurement and sales managers, and other business leaders are increasingly relying on cloud services to access dynamically changing information to better engage customers that are making purchases via mobile devices, social networks and other collaboration tools. In order to more effectively reach connected, mobile consumers, businesses need the ability to switch between the cloud and local systems to gather and compare insights from multiple sources.

"Combining business processes and data from cloud services with information stored on-site will allow business leaders to optimize their operations, particularly during times of peak performance," said Dennis Quan, IBM vice president of cloud infrastructure services. "Our patented technique removes barriers and challenges that are inhibiting companies of all sizes from accessing all of the cloud infrastructure and services they need to get the job done."

IBM's patented cloud BPM invention furthers the company's commitment to helping organizations of all sizes gain new business benefits from cloud computing, such as new ways to optimize business process and related big data flows within the cloud and lower costs with greater efficiencies.

More information about how IBM inventors are propelling cloud computing innovations is available at http://ibm.co/1bloNX1

About IBM Cloud Computing
IBM is the global leader in cloud with an unmatched portfolio of open cloud solutions that help clients build, rent or tap into cloud capabilities. No other company has the ability to bring together unique industry knowledge and unmatched cloud capabilities, that have already helped more than 20,000 clients around the world. Today, IBM has more than 100 cloud SaaS solutions, 37,000 experts with deep industry knowledge helping clients transform and a network of more than 25 global cloud delivery centers. Since 2007, IBM has invested more than $6 billion in acquisitions to accelerate its cloud initiatives. Most recently IBM acquired SoftLayer currently with more than 22,000 clients in 140 countries to further build out its IaaS portfolio with an easy and secure on ramp to cloud integrating IBM cloud capabilities. For more information about cloud offerings from IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com/smartcloud. Follow us on Twitter at @IBMcloud and on our blog at http://www.thoughtsoncloud.com.  Join the conversation #ibmcloud

SOURCE IBM