April Roundup – What We Were Talking About

In this issue:

• Best of the Blog: Your Top Five for April
• IBM Research Makes History with the World’s Smallest Movie
• Join the Conversation

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The Best of the Blog: Your Top Five for April

For the month of April, here are the five most popular posts on The Greater IBM Connection blog:

1. 50 Years of Innovation: IBM Honors 2013 Fellows
2. Just for Fun: Vintage Social Networking
3. Video Tour: Capturing the Character of the IBM Brand
4. 1st Quarter 2013 Earnings: How Did IBM Do?
5. 10 Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day

Thanks for visiting and thanks for your comments on the blog, as always.

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IBM Research Makes History with The World’s Smallest Movie

Scientists at IBM have created the world’s smallest stop-motion film. The extraordinary 90-second breakthrough, titled “A Boy and His Atom“, stars carbon atoms that were moved by a scanning tunneling microscope.

The Guinness Book of World Records has certified this breakthrough feat, a showpiece for IBM’s work in data storage solutions based on single atoms. Learn more and see the film now!

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Stay connected with The Greater IBM Connection by:

• Joining the The Greater IBM Connection LinkedIn Group
• Liking The Greater IBM Connection on Facebook
• Following @greater_ibm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greater_ibm
• Following the The Greater IBM Connection blog
• Bookmarking the The Greater IBM Connection portal

What You’re Talking About This Month

In this issue:

• Best of the Blog: Your Top Five for March
• IBM Honors Eight New Fellows: Congratulations to the Class of 2013
• Join the Conversation

Best of the Blog: Your Top Five for March

For the month of March, here are the five most popular blog posts at The Greater IBM Connection blog. In order:

• Video Tour: Capturing the Character of the IBM Brand
• The Replay: Watch Ginni Rometty’s Historic Speech to the Council on Foreign Relations
• Just for Fun: Vintage Social Networking
• Infographic: Who’s Really On Your Conference Call?
• IBM Video Series Celebrates International Women’s Day

Thanks for visiting and thanks for your comments on the blog!

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IBM Honors Eight New Fellows: Congratulations to the Class of 2013

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty this week marked the 50th anniversary of the IBM Fellows Program by honoring eight IBMers with the company’s highest technical distinction. Only 246 individuals have earned this designation in the company’s history, 85 of whom are active employees.

The Class of 2013

“As we have for half a century, IBM is today honoring its most outstanding technologists and their contributions to computing and society,” said Rometty, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer.

The eight new fellows – read about them here – join a distinguished tradition of excellence and innovation. Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

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Join the Conversation

One benefit of membership in The Greater IBM Connection group at LinkedIn is the opportunity to take part in – and learn from – the many lively conversations among our 80,000+ members. Ongoing discussions today include:

• When You Left IBM How Did It Change Your Life – Or Not?
• How Will Big Data and Social Media Change the Nature of Project Management?
• Ever Wonder How to Be of Higher Value?

What do you think? You can reply to these and many more – or start your own discussion – if you’re a member of The Greater IBM Connection group of LinkedIn. (Note: The Greater IBM Connection on LinkedIn is not open to contractors.)

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Stay connected with The Greater IBM Connection by:

• Bookmarking the The Greater IBM Connection portal
• Following the The Greater IBM Connection blog
• Joining the The Greater IBM Connection LinkedIn Group
• Liking The Greater IBM Connection on Facebook
• Following @greater_ibm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greater_ibm

February: A Historic Month for IBM

In this issue:

• Making the World Work Better: IBM THINK Exhibit Opens in Florida
• Black History Month: Pioneering Black Engineers at IBM
• News roundup

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Making the World Work Better: IBM THINK Exhibit Opens in Florida

Check out the IBM THINK Exhibit, now open at INNOVENTIONS West Epcot®, Walt Disney World Resort®. The 6,600 square-foot interactive exhibit is designed to showcase how the world can work better with the help of technology and innovation.

Read all about it and see a photo gallery of the exhibit.

Photo credit: Terry Cuffel, Corporate Visual Services

And don’t miss the video, which shows how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning is connected to the way you live and work.

How would you make the world work better? Add your ideas here, and be sure to use the hashtag #THINK in your Twitter or Facebook posts.

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Black History Month: Pioneering Black Engineers at IBM

In 1952, IBM hired its first black engineer, Harry W. Cochrane. In 1953 the company hired another, Calvin L. Waite, as a development engineer on the tape drive for the IBM 702.

Fast-forward a few years to 2008, when IBM introduced an award to honor pioneering accomplishments, the Harry Cochrane/Cal Waite IBM Fellowship or Assistantship. The award is presented to an exceptional black PhD student worldwide.

IBM Poughkeepsie’s Roland Patterson at work maintaining test equipment for the IBM 7090. Patterson brought an impressive resume to the job – he had been a radar repair instructor in U.S. Army, and had attended Middlebury College in Virginia, Union University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 1960

Read more about these and other engineers/inventors/exceptional IBMers in this blog post by IBM Archivist Paul Lasewicz, at The Greater IBM Connection.

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News Roundup

If you’ve been too busy to check out The Greater IBM Connection blog lately, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest recent stories for you here:

• The 10 Best Companies For Women In 2013 – And The Winner Is?…
• Why IS IBM Called Big Blue? The Uncertain History of a Colorful Nickname
• Relax! And You’ll Be More Productive
• 7 Tips for Getting Your Inbox to Zero (Yes, Zero)

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– Posted by Regan Kelly, Editor/Community Manager, The Greater IBM Connection

In Case You Missed It: Catching Up with Greater IBM

In this issue:

• IBM Connect 2013 – Watch it anytime
• What’s new around The Greater IBM Connection
• Welcome, new members!

IBM Connect 2013 – Watch it anytime

If you’re not in Orlando for IBM Connect 2013 this week, not to worry: you can now see replays of The IBM Connect OGS, Keynote, and many other exciting sessions.

We’re happy to let you know that these and many more are available for replay on Livestream.  Watch them anytime, all in this video library.

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What’s new around The Greater IBM Connection

If you haven’t visited the blog lately, here’s a roundup of some popular recent posts you might have missed:

• Congratulations, IBM WebSphere Champions 2013!
• Watson’s Off to College: Supercomputer joins forces with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Quit Thinking So Positively (+ 4 Other “Good” Habits To Ditch)
• The Little Red Laptop Button? A Patented IBM Innovation: http://wp.me/p2kcos-Lh
• And just for fun – a new cartoon that might seem familiar, on work-life “balance”

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Welcome!

If you’ve just joined The Greater IBM Connection, welcome. We’re glad to see you here and we know you’re going to enjoy reconnecting and networking with your IBM friends and colleagues.

These useful links will help you get started:

Find other Greater IBMers on:

• Facebook: Click the Like button to see Greater IBM news in your Newsfeed.
• Twitter: Click the Follow button.
•  LinkedIn: Be a part of one of the largest groups on all of LinkedIn, and join nearly 80,000 Greater IBM Connection community members. Contribute to the conversations or start your own – it’s your community, see you there!
  

Kicking Off 2013 with The Greater IBM Connection

In this week’s issue:

• It’s all about leadership

• IBM Connect 2013 – You still have time to sign up

• What’s new around The Greater IBM Connection

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It’s all about leadership

In the last few weeks, you might have noticed that a lot of our stories, social media posts, tips, and resources have focused on one essential idea: leadership.

After all, the start of a new year is a great time for assessing your life and career and for making new commitments. If one of your goals is to become a better leader, then here are some of the recent posts at The Greater IBM Connection around our central theme, for inspiration.

• IBM CEO Virginia Rometty Shares Her Leadership Philosophy
• 20 Years of IBM’s Patent Leadership (infographic)
• IBM Vice President, Dr. Matt Wang, Awarded 2012 IT Times Outstanding Leadership (China)

What are YOUR favorite leadership tips or quotations? Share them with your fellow community members in the Comments.

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IBM Connect 2013 – You still have time to sign up

Get Social. Do Business. IBM Connect 2013 is almost here. This large-scale annual event, January 27 – 31 in Orlando, combines the deep technical content that you’ve loved for 20 years with the learning you need to accelerate your move beyond social media to drive real business value with social and collaborative technologies. And there’s still time to register.

Why you need to Connect

At IBM Connect 2013, you’ll have opportunities for:

• 1:1 executive connections
• Peer to peer connections
• Exchanging best practices
• Networking and partnering

What’s in it for me?

You’ll leave IBM Connect with a clear path on how to go beyond social media and embrace social technologies to drive tangible business value and results. You’ll be ready to start using key technologies such as collaboration, portal, Web experiences, content management, analytics, process management, and commerce to go from simply ‘liking’ on social media to truly leading.

How to register:

Register for this event and identify yourself as an IBM alumnus – we’ll let you know about special alumni networking opportunities at and around this event. When registering, you’ll be asked how you heard about the conference. Select “Other”, and then in the open field, be sure to include the code IBMALUM13. That’s all there is to it.

Register now

More:

Don’t miss this new Web lecture, From Liking to Leading(Note: may require a one-time sign-in)

In this brief video, learn more about what social business means to you and your business:

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What’s new around The Greater IBM Connection

The beginning of the year can be especially busy, with catching up on work missed over the holidays, setting goals for the new year, keeping resolutions. In case you missed these, here’s a roundup of some of the most widely read stories on The Greater IBM Connection blog:

• 10 Leadership Lessons from IBM Executive School
• IBM’s 5 in 5: Welcome to the Era of Cognitive Systems
• 9 Bad Work Habits and How to Break Them
• Why Is IBM Called Big Blue? The Uncertain History of a Colorful Nickname

Anything you would like to read more about at The Greater IBM Connection? We always like to hear from you; let us know in the Comments.

Looking Backwards and Forwards

In this issue:

• Backwards – World’s First Smartphone, Music from Mainframes
• Forwards – IBM 5 in 5, The Era of Cognitive Computing
• Forwards – IBM’s Green Initiatives

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Looking Backwards – World’s First Smartphone, Music from Mainframes

Our December theme for The Greater IBM Connection is ‘corporate history’, and Paul Lasewicz, IBM Corporate Archivist, has shared with us some very interesting highlights from IBM’s history such as the fact that IBM invented the world’s first smartphone.  It was also fascinating to learn of the musical compositions done from mainframes, perhaps the forerunner of the digital music trend of today.  Here are the some of the highlights from looking backwards:

• World’s First Smartphone = Apple or Android?  Think Again….
• Christmas Carols on the IBM 704
• The Soothing Music of ‘IBM 1401: A User’s Manual’
• Did You Know About the IBM Gift Advisor?

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Looking Forwards – IBM 5 in 5, The Era of Cognitive Computing

Each December, IBM unveils the 5 in 5 — five predictions about technology innovations that will change the way we work, live and play within the next five years. The ideas come from the thousands of biologists, engineers, mathematicians and medical physicians in our Research labs around the world — IBM has the world’s largest industrial research organization.

In the next five years, computers will begin to mimic and augment the senses, helping us become more aware and more productive.  Today, we see the beginnings of sensing machines in things like self-parking cars–and the future is wide open.  From the company that built Watson, the Jeopardy!-winning computer, here are five upcoming technology advances that will change your world:

Touch: You will be able to touch through your phone
Sight: A pixel will be worth a thousands words
Hearing: Computers will hear what matters
Taste: Digital taste buds will help you to eat smarter
Smell: Computers will have a sense of smell

Read more about it here:  http://wp.me/p2kcos-Bp

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Looking Forwards – IBM’s Green Initiatives

Building a Smarter Planet is a fundamental part of who IBM is as a company, and green initiatives are a key part of the focus for the present and future.  Here are a few highlights from the past week:

• IBM Connects Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Europe
• IBM Centennial Grant Supports Movement for Green Schools in Singapore

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Stay Connected with The Greater IBM Connection by:

• Bookmarking the The Greater IBM Connection portal
• Following the The Greater IBM Connection blog
• Joining the The Greater IBM Connection LinkedIn Group
• Liking The Greater IBM Connection on Facebook
• Following @greater_ibm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greater_ibm

–Posted by Julie Yamamoto, Program Manager, The Greater IBM Connection

The Tech Trends of 2012, and Looking Ahead to 2013

In this issue:

• IBM’s 2012 Tech Trends report – It’s about skills
• New Web lecture, Social Business: Moving from Liking to Leading
• Connect 2013 – Last few days to get discounted pricing

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IBM Tech Trends report: It’s about skills

You can now see the results of IBM’s groundbreaking 2012 Tech Trends study. And the report’s major finding is a crucial one: IT skills are lacking badly.

In fact, only one in 10 organizations has the skills required today in four critical areas: mobile, business analytics, cloud, and social business. Not only that, but almost 3/4 of students and educators also report moderate to major skill gaps in these key areas.

See the full report, an interactive infographic, and videos on the study’s findings, here. http://bit.ly/SB7Egj

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New Web lecture, Social Business: Moving from Liking to Leading

We have a new Web lecture available, on “IBM Social Business: From Liking to Leading”.

Enterprises today are at the beginning of the era of the social business. The integration of social computing into enterprise design represents an enormous shift in the landscape. And the organizations that successfully transform into social business can reap the benefits – including workforce optimization and deeper customer relationships.

This new Web lecture, free to all and available anytime, is hosted by Scott Neuman, Director, Global Marketing Strategy for Social Business.

Watch it here anytime.  http://bit.ly/YjxBWg

Note: Accessing the lecture library might require a one-time login. (Your login credentials will be remembered when you return.)

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Connect 2013 – Last few days to get discounted pricing

We’re just eight weeks away from Connect 2013, a premiere IBM event and a can’t-miss way to kick off your 2013. A reminder to previous attendees: these are the last few days to get discounted pricing, available until Monday, December 10.

Attention former IBM employees: Let us know you’re attending!

Registration instructions:

When you register, you will be asked how you heard about the conference. Please select “Other” from the list, and then in the open field,  use the code IBMALUM13. That way, we’ll be able to let you know about special Greater IBMer alumni networking opportunities at and around the event.
Register now to save:  http://ibm.co/SB3UeL

IBM has announced several speakers for the event, including Alistair Rennie, General Manager, IBM Social Business; Sandy Carter, Vice President of IBM Social Business Sales; and Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President of the IBM Software Solutions Group. More will be announced soon.

In the meantime, stay connected by:

• Liking IBM Social Business on Facebook – http://on.fb.me/SB7rty
• Following @IBMConnect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBMConnect
• Watching videos at the IBM Social Business Channel on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SB7zcx

Get Social. Do Business. IBM Connect 2013 is Almost Here

In this issue:

• IBM Connect 2013 – Register now to save
• Show your appreciation – it’s time
• What are you talking about?

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IBM Connect 2013 – Register now to save

Social business represents a significant transformational opportunity for organizations. If you want to learn more about what it takes, then IBM Connect 2013 (Jan. 27 – 31 in Orlando, FL) is your “must attend” event to kick off the new year.

Register for this event and identify yourself as an IBM alumnus/alumna, and we’ll let you know about special alumni networking opportunities at and around the event.

Register now to save – discounted pricing is available until December 10th. Will you be the one talking about it or asking about it?  Learn more about IBM Connect 2013.

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Show your appreciation – it’s time

In the US, the Thanksgiving holiday arrives next week. And that’s a terrific time to recognize the skills and talents of your employees.

Just like any other day.

Everyone wants to be seen and acknowledged; be sure you’re showing your employees that you appreciate their contributions.

The best leaders know that employee appreciation should be an ongoing activity, not just reserved for one day out of the year. In this blog post, read about 10 thoughtful ways to show your employees or colleagues that you value their contributions.

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What are you talking about?

Want to know what your fellow Greater IBM Connection community members are thinking about and discussing across our social media sites?

Click here for a linked list of the most popular stories, questions, discussions, and blog posts you and your fellow community members were talking about most in the month of October.

Staying Connected: What’s Going On This Week

In this issue:

• IBM retirees: RHA enrollment closing soon
• “Traditional marketing is dead”: The social business imperative
• A critical collaboration: IBM Research/Watson collaborates with Cleveland Clinic (Infographic)

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IBM Retirees: RHA Enrollment Closing Soon

Who says retirement is quiet? You’re busy, and it can be hard to find the time to research the IBM retiree benefit options available to you.

Because time is running short to make your selections, Aetna has posted an informative presentation that you can watch on the company’s IBM RHA dedicated site anytime. View the presentation at your convenience to learn about the Aetna plan options available through Retiree Health Access (RHA).  To see it:

1. Go to the  http://ibmrhabenefits.aetnamedicare.com, and use the password IBM65

2. Scroll down the page and select View a narrated presentation

Remember, the IBM annual enrollment period closes on Friday, November 16, 2012.

More details here.

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“Traditional marketing is dead”: The social business imperative

How are your social business skills? The digital, social, mobile revolution isn’t coming – it’s here. And it’s here to stay.

Social business: it’s more than just Facebook.

In this post, Michael Brenner examines how individuals and companies are moving beyond why they need to become a social business and today shifting the focus to how to become one. In the process, see how they’re maximizing the resulting value and innovation.

And IBM is at the vanguard: the company has been identified as “the model of social business today and into the future” by  social business consultant Mark Fidelman. Greater IBMers: What do you see as the main barriers to social business in your organization?

Greater IBMers: What do you see as the main barriers to social business in your organization?

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A critical collaboration: IBM Research/Watson join forces with Cleveland Clinic

By winning Jeopardy! in 2011, IBM’s Watson showed how a supercomputer’s ability to answer questions in natural language could transform the way computers interact with people. Now, IBM is joining forces with the Cleveland Clinic to demonstrate how Watson can be used to advance the field of medical training.

Medical students will soon be able to utilize a tool using Watson technology to help them learn to navigate the latest content, consider a variety of hypotheses, and find key evidence to support potential answers, diagnoses, and treatment options. Watson too will be getting smarter: students will help improve Watson’s language and domain analysis capabilities by judging the evidence it provides and analyzing its answers.

Bottom line? Medical students and Watson both will benefit from each others’ strengths and expertise to learn and improve their collaborative performance.

Read more.

Marketers, Cloud Pioneers, IBM Retirees, and Global Citizens: We’re Talking to You!

In this issue:

• Interview with IBM’s Jon Iwata: What does Big Data mean for marketing?
• Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) cloud pioneers blaze a new trail
• Retirees – Time for a checkup of your health benefits
• IBM South Africa Imbizo!

Interview with IBM’s Jon Iwata: What does Big Data mean for marketing?

Jon Iwata, IBM’s Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, recently spoke with the Center for CIO Leadership about why close collaboration between Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) gives the best companies an edge in the marketplace.

IBM’s Jon Iwata

In this informative, in-depth interview, Mr. Iwata also discusses Big Data’s emergence as an “extremely valuable” new natural resource and its impact on the marketing arena; the tremendous promise of analytics and the customer insights to be uncovered; and how the tools of predictive analytics can deliver great ROI on marketing investments.

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Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) cloud pioneers blaze a new trail

A new thought leadership paper – on the adoption of platform as a service, or PaaS – has been released by the IBM Center for Applied Insights (CAI). Based on a global study of more then 1,500 IT decision makers, the paper addresses the current attitudes and activity in the PaaS space, and was launched at the Cloud Innovation Forum Oct. 17^th.

The study identified a group of pioneers – early PaaS adopters – who now are beginning to see its strategic benefits. To pioneers, adopting PaaS is a way to drive innovation and improve the entire application life cycle, not simply cut costs.

Pioneers have also addressed and moved past common concerns that enterprises have regarding ROI and security, focusing instead on performance and service quality.

More:

Are you a cloud pioneer? Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) pioneers blaze a new trail

The Center for Applied Insights

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IBM Retirees – Time for a checkup of your health benefits

The IBM retiree annual enrollment season is here, and you have from October 25 through November 16 to change your plan selection for 2013. It’s a great time to take a benefit checkup and review your health benefit needs.

Review your personalized fact sheet and ask yourself:

• How well does my current health plan meet my health needs?
• Do I want to lower my monthly contributions?
• Do I want to reduce my medical and/or pharmacy out-of-pocket costs?
• Are there other plan options available to me that I have not researched?

Take a few minutes for a checkup of your benefits today! Details here.

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IBM South Africa – Imbizo!

We’re delighted to share this update on IBM in South Africa, a big area of focus for the company and a significant contributor to the company’s MEA (Middle East & Africa) region.

Read about its priorities, events, leadership team, and the major role its recruitment team role will play in IBM Africa’s continued growth and success.