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!
  

Get Social, Do Business: Why You Should Attend IBM Connect 2013

Why should you attend IBM Connect 2013, coming up soon? In this brief video, IBM’s Alistair Rennie (General Manager, social business) shares what he’s most looking forward to at this year’s event.

Register here.

See you there!

#socbiz #IBMConnect

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

IBM Connect 2013: Your MUST-Attend Event to Kick Off the New Year

Social business represents a significant transformational opportunity for organizations. If you want to learn more about what it takes, make your plans now for IBM’s Connect 2013 (Jan. 27 – 31 in Orlando, FL); it’s your must-attend event to kick off 2013.

Several companies have made inroads into social business by adopting external social media tactics, but that’s not enough. To gain a competitive advantage, companies must focus on making transformational shifts in how work is accomplished. These insight-driven shifts address the way a workforce interacts to deliver an exceptional digital experience throughout the entire business ecosystem — clients, employees, partners, and suppliers.

IBM Connect 2013 is a familiar event to many, but this year it comes with a whole new twist. IBM’s Lotusphere has a new name that reflects the broader story of IBM’s market leadership in Social Business. Whether you focus on business or IT, IBM Connect is an event you should not miss.

What to expect at IBM Connect 2013:

• Hundreds of business and technology sessions – from panels to round tables, deep dives and best practices, client success stories to lively symposium-style discussions
• Within the Lotusphere technical program, a rich array of technology sessions (exactly what you would expect if you’ve previously attended Lotusphere)
• A Solutions Showcase, featuring real-world solutions from groundbreaking, innovative IBM Business Partners and IBM experts
• Exclusive access to industry and IBM business and technical leaders, plus our product experts, engineers, architects, and developers
• Social networking and brainstorming opportunities with peers and partners who are experiencing the real returns that come from being a social business

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.

How to Register

When you register for IBM Connect 2013, 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.

The IBM Connect 2013 IBM.com site