IBM Integrates and Expands on Cognos Offerings

IBM Corp. has announced six new pre-integrated product offerings that leverage the Cognos acquisition plus 10 new and enhanced industry solutions built upon Cognos and IBM software and services. In addition, IBM unveiled three new service offerings that extend the value of IBM hardware and software components. The company also explained how Cognos would be folded into the IBM Software Group.

Focal Points

• The new pre-integrated offerings are Reporting and Dashboards for InfoSphere Warehouse, Data Integration and Quality for IBM Cognos 8 BI, Portal Based Actionable Dashboards, and BI powered BPM. There will be an IBM Cognos 8 "starter pack" bundled with InfoSphere Warehouse as well as an inclusion of a limited license for InfoSphere Warehouse with IBM Cognos 8. An IBM Cognos 8 "starter pack" will also be bundled with WebSphere Portal Dashboard Accelerator as well as a WebSphere Portal Dashboard Accelerator "starter pack" will be bundled with IBM Cognos 8 BI. IBM Cognos 8 Data Manager will be available on a stand alone basis as well as pre-integrated with Cognos 8 BI and IBM Information Server. Event engines and templates for IBM Cognos 8 will be available to support processes in IBM FileNet P8 BPM and WebSphere Process Server.
• IBM is offering 10 new and enhanced industry solutions that leverage the Cognos offerings. Specific industry solutions are for the financial services, government, health and life sciences, industrial, retail and telecommunications industries. There are a set of functional area solutions such as risk analysis, strategic financial planning, and workforce analytics that are applicable cross-industry. IBM Global Technology Services is establishing an Information on Demand Infrastructure Community of Practice and three service offerings – Data Mobility, IoD Infrastructure Acceleration, and Storage Optimization.
• The Cognos organization will become the BI and Performance Management unit of Information Management Division under the IBM Software Group and will be headed by Cognos' President and CEO Rob Ashe. The Cognos products will be marketed and sold under the "IBM Cognos" brand. The BI and Performance Management unit will maintain database and infrastructure independence and Cognos will maintain its relationships with other integration vendors, according to IBM officials. Everything that was committed on Cognos' roadmap prior to the acquisition will remain as planned and the roadmap will remain heterogeneous, executive stated. Officials also pointed out that due to the long-term relationship that IBM has had with Cognos there is no major investment required for integrating and rationalizing Cognos into the IBM software set.

Experton Group believes IBM is moving rapidly to integrate and cross-sell its Cognos product line, so as to quickly leverage its offerings and jump start revenues from the purchase. The IBM actions are similar to those taken by SAP AG last month relative to its Business Objects acquisition. These maneuverings can be expected to strain the IBM – SAP relationship in the near term, as the companies learn how to compete and cooperate simultaneously. The analytics software business remains in flux and will undergo adjustments over the next 12 to 18 months as each of the players seek to integrate, reposition and strengthen their products to satisfy internal objectives and fend off competition. IT executives should now consider any purchase of analytical software strategically and look for ways to create added business advantages from any deal it structures with the new parent company of the analytics group.