IBM Delivers Its Highest Quantum Volume to Date, Expanding the Computational Power of its IBM Cloud-Accessible Quantum Computers

Company achieves a quantum volume of 64 through full-stack improvements

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2020 — Today, IBM has unveiled a new milestone on its quantum computing road map, achieving the company’s highest Quantum Volume to date. Combining a series of new software and hardware techniques to improve overall performance, IBM has upgraded one of its newest 27-qubit client-deployed systems to achieve a Quantum Volume 64. The company has made a total of 28 quantum computers available over the last four years through IBM Quantum Experience.

In order to achieve a Quantum Advantage, the point where certain information processing tasks can be performed more efficiently or cost effectively on a quantum computer, versus a classical one, it will require improved quantum circuits, the building blocks of quantum applications. Quantum Volume measures the length and complexity of circuits – the higher the Quantum Volume, the higher the potential for exploring solutions to real world problems across industry, government, and research.

To achieve this milestone, the company focused on a new set of techniques and improvements that used knowledge of the hardware to optimally run the Quantum Volume circuits. These hardware-aware methods are extensible and will improve any quantum circuit run on any IBM Quantum system, resulting in improvements to the experiments and applications which users can explore. These techniques will be available in upcoming releases and improvements to the IBM Cloud software services and the cross-platform open source software development kit (SDK) Qiskit.

“We are always finding new ways to push the limits of our systems so that we can run larger, more complex quantum circuits and more quickly achieve a Quantum Advantage,” said Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President, IBM Quantum. “IBM’s full-stack approach gives an innovative avenue to develop hardware-aware applications, algorithms and circuits, all running on the most extensive and powerful quantum hardware fleet in the industry.”

The IBM Quantum team has shared details on the technical improvements made across the full stack to reach Quantum Volume 64 in a preprint released on arXiv, today.

IBM Quantum Highlights

  • IBM has reached Quantum Volume 64 on a 27-qubit system deployed within the IBM Q Network [https://www.ibm.com/quantum-computing/network/overview/]
  • 28 quantum computing systems deployed on the IBM Cloud over the last four years with eight systems boasting a Quantum Volume of 32
  • The IBM Q Network has 115 client, government, startup, partner, and university members
  • 250,000+ registered users of the IBM Quantum Experience [https://www.ibm.com/quantum-computing/technology/experience/]
  • Users routinely execute more than 1 Billion hardware circuits per day on IBM Quantum systems on the IBM Cloud
  • Researchers have published 250+ papers based on work on IBM Quantum systems

IBM Reveals Next-Generation IBM POWER10 Processor

New CPU co-optimized for Red Hat OpenShift for enterprise hybrid cloud

RMONK, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2020 — IBM today revealed the next generation of its IBM POWER central processing unit (CPU) family: IBM POWER10. Designed to offer a platform to meet the unique needs of enterprise hybrid cloud computing, the IBM POWER10 processor uses a design focused on energy efficiency and performance in a 7nm form factor with an expected improvement of up to 3x greater processor energy efficiency, workload capacity, and container density than the IBM POWER9 processor.

Designed over five years with hundreds of new and pending patents, the IBM POWER10 processor is an important evolution in IBM’s roadmap for POWER. Systems taking advantage of IBM POWER10 are expected to be available in the second half of 2021. Some of the new processor innovations include:

  • IBM’s First Commercialized 7nm Processor that is expected to deliver up to a 3x improvement in capacity and processor energy efficiency within the same power envelope as IBM POWER9, allowing for greater performance.1
  • Support for Multi-Petabyte Memory Clusters with a breakthrough new technology called Memory Inception, designed to improve cloud capacity and economics for memory-intensive workloads from ISVs like SAP, the SAS Institute, and others as well as large-model AI inference.
  • New Hardware-Enabled Security Capabilities including transparent memory encryption designed to support end-to-end security. The IBM POWER10 processor is engineered to achieve significantly faster encryption performance with quadruple the number of AES encryption engines per core compared to IBM POWER9 for today’s most demanding standards and anticipated future cryptographic standards like quantum-safe cryptography and fully homomorphic encryption. It also brings new enhancements to container security.
  • New Processor Core Architectures in the IBM POWER10 processor with an embedded Matrix Math Accelerator which is extrapolated to provide 10x, 15x and 20x faster AI inference for FP32, BFloat16 and INT8 calculations per socket respectively than the IBM POWER9 processor to infuse AI into business applications and drive greater insights.

“Enterprise-grade hybrid clouds require a robust on-premises and off-site architecture inclusive of hardware and co-optimized software,” said Stephen Leonard, GM of IBM Cognitive Systems. “With IBM POWER10 we’ve designed the premier processor for enterprise hybrid cloud, delivering the performance and security that clients expect from IBM. With our stated goal of making Red Hat OpenShift the default choice for hybrid cloud, IBM POWER10 brings hardware-based capacity and security enhancements for containers to the IT infrastructure level.”

IBM POWER10 7nm Form Factor Delivers Energy Efficiency and Capacity Gains

IBM POWER10 is IBM’s first commercialized processor built using 7nm process technology. IBM Research has been partnering with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. on research and development for more than a decade, including demonstration of the semiconductor industry’s first 7nm test chips through IBM’s Research Alliance.

With this updated technology and a focus on designing for performance and efficiency, IBM POWER10 is expected to deliver up to a 3x gain in processor energy efficiency per socket, increasing workload capacity in the same power envelope as IBM POWER9. This anticipated improvement in capacity is designed to allow IBM POWER10-based systems to support up to 3x increases in users, workloads and OpenShift container density for hybrid cloud workloads as compared to IBM POWER9-based systems.

This can affect multiple datacenter attributes to drive greater efficiency and reduce costs, such as space and energy use, while also allowing hybrid cloud users to achieve more work in a smaller footprint.

Hardware Enhancements to Further Secure the Hybrid Cloud

IBM POWER10 offers hardware memory encryption for end-to-end security and faster cryptography performance thanks to additional AES encryption engines for both today’s leading encryption standards as well as anticipated future encryption protocols like quantum-safe cryptography and fully homomorphic encryption.

Further, to address new security considerations associated with the higher density of containers, IBM POWER10 is designed to deliver new hardware-enforced container protection and isolation capabilities co-developed with the IBM POWER10 firmware. If a container were to be compromised, the POWER10 processor is designed to be able to prevent other containers in the same Virtual Machine (VM) from being affected by the same intrusion.

Cyberattacks are continuing to evolve, and newly discovered vulnerabilities can cause disruptions as organizations wait for fixes. To better enable clients to proactively defend against certain new application vulnerabilities in real-time, IBM POWER10 is designed to give users dynamic execution register control, meaning users could design applications that are more resistant to attacks with minimal performance loss.

Multi-Petabyte Size Memory Clustering Gives Flexibility for Multiple Hybrid Deployments

IBM POWER has long been a leader in supporting a wide range of flexible deployments for hybrid cloud and on-premises workloads through a combination of hardware and software capabilities. The IBM POWER10 processor is designed to elevate this with the ability to pool or cluster physical memory across IBM POWER10-based systems, once available, in a variety of configurations. In a breakthrough new technology called Memory Inception, the IBM POWER10 processor is designed to allow any of the IBM POWER10 processor-based systems in a cluster to access and share each other’s memory, creating multi-Petabyte sized memory clusters.

For both cloud users and providers, Memory Inception offers the potential to drive cost and energy savings, as cloud providers can offer more capability using fewer servers, while cloud users can lease fewer resources to meet their IT needs.

Infusing AI into the Enterprise Hybrid Cloud to Drive Deeper Insights

As AI continues to be more and more embedded into business applications in transactional and analytical workflows, AI inferencing is becoming central to enterprise applications. The IBM POWER10 processor is designed to enhance in-core AI inferencing capability without requiring additional specialized hardware.

With an embedded Matrix Math Accelerator, the IBM POWER10 processor is expected to achieve 10x, 15x, and 20x faster AI inference for FP32, BFloat16 and INT8 calculations respectively to improve performance for enterprise AI inference workloads as compared to IBM POWER9, helping enterprises take the AI models they trained and put them to work in the field. With IBM’s broad portfolio of AI software, IBM POWER10 is expected to help infuse AI workloads into typical enterprise applications to glean more impactful insights from data.

Building the Enterprise Hybrid Cloud of the Future

With hardware co-optimized for Red Hat OpenShift, IBM POWER10-based servers will deliver the future of the hybrid cloud when they become available in the second half of 2021. Samsung Electronics will manufacture the IBM POWER10 processor, combining Samsung’s industry-leading semiconductor manufacturing technology with IBM’s CPU designs.

Read more about how IBM POWER10 is expected to impact the enterprise hybrid cloud market, here: https://newsroom.ibm.com/Stephen-Leonard-POWER10.

LafargeHolcim And IBM Join Forces to Further Develop ORIS – The First Digital Materials Platform For Sustainable Road Solutions

Zurich, Switzerland – August 4, 2020 LafargeHolcim announces it will work with IBM Services to further develop the first digital platform for road design optimization, ORIS. The solution can reduce road project costs by up to one-third and carbon emissions by up to half while tripling road durability and usage lifespans.

ORIS allows decision-makers, road infrastructure authorities and project investors to improve road construction and sustainability and reduce inefficiencies through smart project design. This is especially timely as governments design stimulus packages to revive economic activity post COVID-19 while also responding to the impact of climate change.

An average of 700,000 kilometres (435,000 miles) of new roads are being built globally every year. Improving road quality and resilience will help reduce the massive amount of carbon emissions attributed to transportation. Because roads vary depending on location, climate, vehicle types and traffic volumes, it is a complex challenge to define the most sustainable and cost-effective mix of building materials and technologies early in the design phase. ORIS assesses road pavement designs from different perspectives and recommends efficient construction and maintenance patterns with local materials availability and capabilities. ORIS is supporting public policies that conserve natural resources, enabling a more local and circular economy in road construction.

“We are accelerating the digitalization of our solutions for sustainable and high-performance construction,” said Marcel Cobuz, Region Head of Europe, Member of the Executive Committee with responsibility for innovation at LafargeHolcim on a global level. “With global solutions like ORIS, we are committed to leading the way in low-carbon and circular construction as well as responsible natural resource consumption for roads and beyond. We have already entered into pilots with different partners such as road authorities, international financing institutions and engineering firms to use ORIS in both developed and emerging markets.”

LafargeHolcim will leverage IBM’s portfolio of digital platforms, hybrid clouds, digital design services, as well as IBM’s expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, industrial Internet-of-Things and data analytics to enhance even further its materials knowledge in cement and ready-mix concrete products, as well as its solutions and products, including precast concrete, asphalt, mortar and building solutions.

“Data-driven solutions and digital technologies have the potential to transform road construction towards more sustainable, circular, low-carbon, low-resource and cost-efficient techniques. ORIS is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimizing costs, environmental impacts and project delays,” says Hervé Rolland, Vice President, Industrial Solutions, IBM Europe. “IBM Services help businesses establish the right industry-relevant platforms that support rapid digitization, standardization and simplification, as well as vertically integrating both industrial and business operations.”

About LafargeHolcim

LafargeHolcim is the global leader in building materials and solutions and active in four business segments: Cement, Aggregates, Ready-Mix Concrete and Solutions & Products. Its ambition is to lead the industry in reducing carbon emissions and shifting towards low-carbon construction. With the strongest R&D organization in the industry, the company seeks to constantly introduce and promote high-quality and sustainable building materials and solutions to its customers worldwide – whether individual homebuilders or developers of major infrastructure projects. LafargeHolcim employs over 70,000 employees in over 70 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets.

More information is available on www.lafargeholcim.com.

Twitter @LafargeHolcim

More information on ORIS is available on https://www.lafargeholcim.com/oris  or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oristic

IBM and the University of Tokyo Unveil the Quantum Innovation Initiative Consortium to Accelerate Japan’s Quantum Research and Development Leadership

Keio University, Toshiba, Hitachi, Mizuho, MUFG, JSR, DIC, Toyota, Mitsubishi Chemicals and IBM to expand the country-wide quantum computing research, development and education ecosystem

TOKYO, July 30, 2020 — Today, IBM and the University of Tokyo unveiled a landmark collaboration with the launch of the Quantum Innovation Initiative Consortium (QIIC). Expanding from the December 2019 Japan–IBM Quantum Partnership initiative, QIIC, aims to accelerate the collaboration between industry, academia, and government to advance Japan’s leadership in quantum science, business, and education.

QIIC’s main goal is to strategically accelerate quantum computing R&D activities in Japan by bringing together academic talent from across the country’s universities and prominent research associations and large-scale industry. The consortium plans to further develop technology for quantum computing in Japan and build an ecosystem to improve student skills and expertise, opening doors to future scientific discoveries and practical quantum applications.

Headquartered at the University of Tokyo, member organizations of QIIC will collaborate to engage students, faculty, and industry researchers with seminars, workshops, and events to foster new quantum business opportunities in Japan. Organizations in agreement to join the consortium include Keio University, Toshiba, Hitachi, Mizuho, MUFG, JSR, DIC, Toyota, Mitsubishi Chemicals and IBM Japan. 

These organizations in consortium will also be part of the IBM Q Network – the world’s first community of Fortune 500 companies, startups, academic institutions and research labs – to advance quantum computing and the development of practical applications for it. As part of the network, they will have access to IBM’s expertise and resources, and cloud development environment, as well as cloud-based access to the IBM Quantum Computation Center, which includes IBM’s most-advanced quantum computers.

In addition to cloud-based access to the IBM’s fleet of quantum systems, the QIIC will also have access to an IBM Q System One, a dedicated system planned for installation in Japan in 2021. The first of its kind in the region, and only the second such installation outside of the US, this system – along with a separate testbed system to be part of a system technology development lab – will support the consortium’s goals of next-generation quantum hardware research and development, including cryogenic components, room temperature electronics, and micro-signal generators.

According to Professor Makoto Gonokami, President of the University of Tokyo:

“Society 5.0 is the concept of a better future with inclusive, sustainable and a knowledge-intensive society where information and services create value underpinned by digital innovation. The key to realizing this society is to utilize real data in real-time. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to protect and nurture the global environment, an entity of physical space and cyberspace as one, by taking it as a global commons (a concept that encompasses global resources and the ecosystems) which is sustainable and reliable, while the fusion of physical space and cyberspace progresses.

“Quantum technology and quantum computers are indispensable technologies to make that happen. I believe that Japan will play an important role in implementing quantum computing technology to society ahead of rest of the world, and that industry-academia-government collaboration is necessary for this. The QIIC will accelerate quantum technology research and its implementation to the Society 5.0 while firmly sharing each other’s wisdom and promoting the close sharing of information.”

“Today, I am extremely excited and proud to launch this new consortium that will help foster economic growth and quantum technology leadership in Japan. The QIIC will greatly advance Japan’s entire quantum computing ecosystem, bringing experts from industry, government and academia together to collaborate on research and development,” said Dario Gil, Director of IBM Research. “Quantum computing has the potential to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in the future. We expect that it will help us accelerate scientific discovery so that we can develop vaccines more quickly and accurately, create new materials to address climate change or design better energy storage technologies. The potential is massive, and we will only reach this future if we work together – uniting the best minds from the public and private sectors. Universities, businesses and governments have to collaborate so that we can unleash the full potential of quantum computing.”

QIIC’s members are forging a path for Japan’s discovery of practical quantum applications for the benefit of society. The cooperation between industry, academia, and government aims to create a new community for quantum computation research and use cases.

Adobe, IBM and Red Hat Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Customer Experience Transformation

Initial Focus on Regulated Industries Using Hybrid Cloud

SAN FRANCISCO and ARMONK, N.Y. and RALEIGH, N.C., July 21, 2020 — Adobe, IBM and Red Hat today announced a strategic partnership to help accelerate digital transformation and strengthen real-time data security for enterprises, with a focus on regulated industries. The intent of the partnership is to enable companies to deliver more personalized experiences across the customer journey, driving improved engagement, profitability and loyalty.

As companies undergo their digital transformations and move core workloads to the cloud, the entire C-suite is facing a re-framing of their roles to meet customer demands – all while keeping security front and center. Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Digital Officers – particularly those working in regulated industries such as banking and healthcare – are finding that with the emphasis on data-driven marketing, they are now becoming stewards of critical enterprise and customer information. For these executives, the need to protect data while delivering meaningful customer experiences is paramount.

The partnership will initially focus on:

  • Deployment Flexibility with Hybrid Cloud: Adobe, IBM and Red Hat aim to enable brands to manage and deliver their content and assets within any hybrid cloud environment, from multiple public clouds to on-premise data centers. By certifying and delivering Adobe Experience Manager 6.5, part of Adobe Experience Cloud, to run on Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading enterprise open source container platform, IBM will offer clients the flexibility to host, access and leverage data in the environment of their choice.
  • Adobe Enabled for Financial Services: Adobe joins IBM’s partner ecosystem as a strategic partner providing CX solutions for the IBM Cloud for Financial Services. Using the IBM Cloud for Financial Services, IBM will extend Adobe Experience Manager to professionals in this industry with the aim of helping them as they meet their security and regulatory requirements when delivering personalized experiences to their customers.
  • Adobe and IBM Services: IBM iX, the business design arm of IBM Services, will extend their offerings across all of Adobe’s core enterprise applications. With broader, integrated support for clients across Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Cloud, and Adobe Document Cloud, IBM iX will accelerate how global brands use data to design, implement, and scale personalized customer experiences to instill trust across every corner of their business.

“Now more than ever companies are accelerating their efforts to engage customers digitally,” said Anil Chakravarthy, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Experience, Adobe. “We are excited to partner with IBM and Red Hat to enable companies in regulated industries to meet this moment and use real-time customer data to securely deliver experiences across any digital touchpoint, at scale and compliant with regulations.”

“The reality is that today, businesses across industries are operating in an experience first world where it is possible to gain immense value from data if trust and technology flexibility are central to the equation,” said Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president, IBM Global Markets. “It is with these principles as the focus of our partnership – bringing Adobe’s marketing expertise, IBM’s industry domain knowledge and the open innovation of Red Hat –that will give clients the confidence to use their data for new competitive advantage.”

“Being competitive in the digital economy requires delivering innovation quickly,” said Ashesh Badani, senior vice president, Cloud Platforms, Red Hat. “Through this collaboration, Adobe, IBM and Red Hat are enabling organizations to deliver great digital experiences in any environment with flexibility and speed across the hybrid cloud, whether in on-premises data centers or across multiple public clouds.”

As part of the partnership IBM has named Adobe its “Global Partner for Experience” and will begin adopting Adobe Experience Cloud and its enterprise applications to transform its own global marketing.

Anta turns to IBM Services and SAP S/4HANA® to lay foundation for intelligent workflows

Sporting goods retailer responds to rapid shifts in consumer demand

ARMONK N.Y. and Beijing: Anta Group, a multi-brand sporting goods group specializing in the design, production and sale of sports equipment, has launched a group wide digital platform based on SAP S/4HANA®. Designed and deployed by IBM Services, the new platform integrates data management from brand sales, production management, supply chain and logistics to group finance.

This initial step in Anta Group’s digital transformation to full intelligent workflows was completed in January 2020 and has allowed the group to more quickly adjust its retail operations by switching to promoting sales through online channels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anta has always been focused on the consumer-centric value segment, rapidly developing new brands and business models to meet the evolving needs of its customers. As a result, the company has grown quickly in the past few years, and with this growth, came the need to upgrade to a group-level management platform to help the business run more efficiently across its business chain of ordering, supply, production and sales. Implementation of SAP S/4HANA is powering the modernization of these processes with the delivery of data driven insight and the company leadership now has a single view of current data from brand sales and supply chain through to shoe and clothing production information to ensure that production and sales are optimized.

In addition, the platform assists the supply chain to place orders through automatic calculation of sales delivery, supply chain delivery, and online feedback mechanisms, helping efficiency increase by more than 80% and reducing delivery times which has further fueled business growth.

To increase data insights and intelligent decision-making, IBM Services helped Anta to integrate various data flows from retail stores, multi-brand products, different channels, customers, suppliers and financial centers. Integrating this data into one platform helps the management of the group’s business and finances which can help Anta to settle accounts quickly and issue business analysis reports for different entities as well as displaying the overall picture of the operation.

Ding Shizhong, chairman and CEO Anta Group said, “In the digital age, the best way to win and gain customer loyalty is to establish the most trustworthy and best quality in the market. Anta has always been committed to using technology to promote the core change of management. As we look to the future to drive more direct to consumer interaction, we’re using data insights and will use AI and automation to make our workflows more intelligent in order to meet and exceed consumer preferences as they continue to evolve.”

Stephen Laughlin, General Manager, Global Consumer Industry, IBM said, “The creation of the new digital platform has helped improve efficiency in product distribution and can shorten decision time for product replenishment across the Anta Group. It can also lay a solid foundation for Anta’s next phase of digital transformation on their path to become a cognitive enterprise and to further support multi-brand, omni-channel and global development.”

IBM Introduces Sterling Inventory Control Tower to Help Organizations More Effectively Manage Inventory and Build Resilient Supply Chains

Provides End-to-End Visibility and Intelligent Insights to More Effectively Act on Inventory to Meet Actual Demand

ARMONK, N.Y., – IBM today announced the launch of IBM Sterling Inventory Control Tower (ICT) to further help companies manage inventory and build resilient supply chains more effectively. Many companies lack the end-to-end inventory visibility and intelligence needed to effectively predict disruptions, optimize decision-making and mitigate the business impact. IBM Sterling Inventory Control Tower is enabled with AI and is designed to provide insights to see inventory wherever it is, identify and understand the impact of external events to predict disruptions, and take actions based on playbook recommendations to mitigate the upstream and downstream effects. This can allow for faster response to market changes and the delivery of better customer experiences.

Now more than ever, inventory challenges are top of mind across every industry. Supply chain Inventory Control Towers is purpose-built to be used by organizations to get near real-time insights with anticipated use cases such as:

  • In grocery stores to expand inventory visibility to see beyond warehouses, including in-store locations and supply in-transit, and keep shelves stocked;
  • In hospitals to provide visibility into supply and demand gaps for critical items at PAR locations such as critical lifesaving equipment and supplies, making them available at the right place and time;
  • In automotive to get visibility into aftermarket service parts by SKU, and stocking locations across ERP and other systems, to help ensure critical parts are in stock to meet customer expectations.

The purpose-built Sterling Inventory Control Tower can help organizations see, predict and more effectively act on inventory to better predict disruptions, improve resiliency, manage exceptions and respond to unplanned events. Capabilities include:

  • See Inventory Across the Supply Chain. Correlate data across silos and disparate systems to provide a single inventory view, while quickly detecting internal and external events that could impact inventory. By establishing end-to-end visibility throughout the entire supply chain all the way from raw material availability and supplier order to the “last mile” of customer delivery, businesses can track days of supply by product to customize safety stock reserves by location and reallocate inventory across locations and channels.
  • Predict and Assess Disruptions. Help businesses by connecting data between a wide array of internal and external sources. Smart-alerts can help quickly detect the most relevant and impactful events so disruptions can be predicted sooner, while data drill down enabled by natural language queries helps to understand and assess the supply chain impact. This can allow businesses to adapt to growing market and customer complexity and meet customer commitments with accurate inventory information and insights.
  • Act to Mitigate Potentially Disruptive Events. Allow businesses to better collaborate across the supply chain to quickly respond to unplanned events. The solution’s AI-powered virtual Resolution Rooms can provide a collaboration space that can help teams quick convene and identify the root causes of supply chain disruptions and develop the right solutions. Additionally, Digital Playbooks provide guidance on best practices and preserving organizational knowledge to help speed issue resolution over time, while natural language capabilities provide immediate answer to questions, driving greater productivity for a wide range of users.

“The past few months have shown us that what was once considered ‘good enough’ inventory management may no longer be sufficient. Even as businesses strive to reopen and emerge smarter, inventory remains dynamic because supply, demand and transportation capacity are in flux,” said Jeanette Barlow, VP of Offering Management, IBM Sterling. “As a result, some businesses may be losing sales, aggravating customers by over promising, losing margins due to markdowns and expedited shipping charges, carrying excess safety stock, all while limiting their ability to enter new sales channels. Enterprises should embrace advanced technologies such as AI to more effectively act on their inventory across all channels in near real-time, which can help mitigate fluctuations in demand and supply disruptions in order create smarter, innovative and resilient supply chains.”

IBM Sterling Inventory Control Tower is part of the IBM Sterling Supply Chain Suite, which includes applications for supplier, order and inventory management, providing connectivity to an extensive ecosystem of customers, suppliers and partners through one of the market’s leading multi-enterprise business networks, the IBM Sterling Supply Chain Business Network.

To learn more about the new IBM Sterling Inventory Control Tower read the IBM Sterling blog, “Navigate Supply Chain Disruption with an Inventory Control Tower.” To learn more about how to improve supplier collaboration with the recently released IBM Sterling Business Transaction Intelligence solution read the IBM Sterling blog, “What Will it Take to Enable Transparent and Efficient Supplier Collaboration.”

Sustainable Seafood Gets a Boost from IBM Blockchain Technology for Insight into the Journey from Sea to Table

Leading Norwegian seafood producers turn to blockchain for help in using technology to provide high-quality, fully traceable products

ARMONK, N.Y. and OSLO, Norway, — Atea, IBM and Sjømatbedriftene, the Norwegian Seafood Association, today announced a new cross-industry collaboration to use blockchain technology to share supply chain data throughout Norway’s seafood industry to provide safer, better seafood to consumers worldwide.

Several Norwegian seafood companies are now in the process of putting data onto the network. One of these companies is Kvarøy Arctic, a leading provider of naturally sea farmed salmon, who will soon begin delivering products to leading retailers in the United States and Canada using the tracking and provenance technology. BioMar, a leading provider of high-grade fish feed, has also joined the network allowing Nordic seafood companies to provide insight into the origin and quality of seafood as well as the quality of feed the fish consume.

“It is important for our customers to know that the seafood they eat is not only safe but produced in a sustainable and healthy manner,” says Alf-Gøran Knutsen, CEO of Kvarøy Arctic. “Blockchain lets us share the fish’s journey from the ocean to the store. This is now more timely than ever, as consumers want more information about where the food they eat comes from.”

Norwegian seafood is known for its quality and the country exported more than 2.7 million tons of seafood in 2019, the equivalent of 25,000 meals per minute.  At the same time, monitoring where the fish comes from, its growing and storage conditions, and reducing food waste remain of critical concern to seafood consumers who care deeply about sustainability.

Robert Eriksson, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Association, believes that the technology will be of great significance going forward and that it will increase the competitive edge of the industry: “Norwegian seafood is known for its quality. Yet we still do not have the ability to trace where the fish came from, how it was grown or how it was stored. This creates the potential for fraud and food waste. Blockchain can help eliminate these problems with a transparent, accountable record of where each fish came from. We believe that this is only the start of something that will mean a great deal for the industry by creating more sustainable food production, which in turn will increase the return for producers,” Eriksson states.

Blockchain technology can help seafood producers create a “single version of the truth” about supply chain events, allowing consumers to trace their seafood products directly back to the source and enabling producers to tell stories about the products, where they come from, and how to prepare them. The private blockchain network records data about catch location and time, supply chain events like shipping updates and customs clearance, and even temperature, which can then be shared with permissioned parties.

According to a recent IBM study, 71% of consumers indicate that traceability is important to them and that they are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it. Customers are also demanding more documentation about the food they eat. This new blockchain-based network will allow customers in-store to know the fjord where the fish is from, when it was fished, the feed it has eaten and whether the facility uses sustainable methods. Customs agencies will be able to more easily access data about volume and location of shipments to expedite customs clearance. By sharing all this information across the supply chain, seafood producers who invest in quality will also be able to charge a premium, increasing pay for the people who catch your fish.

“The Norwegian seafood industry exports more than $800 million worth of fish a year, making this an incredible opportunity to improve the quality of the products Norway shares with the world. While this specific application of the technology will be used in the seafood industry, we feel it has great potential in other prominent Nordic industries such as agriculture and retail.  Working through the Atea Innovation Center, we will help network members innovate using the platform and drive new efficiencies,” says Steinar Sønsteby, CEO of Atea ASA.

The blockchain network uses IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply, an innovative offering from IBM using the underlying technology behind Food Trust. It enables organizations and consortia to rapidly build out their own sustainable blockchain-based ecosystem for improved supply chain operations across numerous industries. IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply promotes transparency and collaboration, allowing networks to manage their own membership, securely share documents and create a permanent record of the history and lifecycle of physical and digital assets.

“Blockchain is about enhancing flexibility and transparency, and IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply provides just that to clients who are interested in rapidly launching their own blockchain network with ecosystem partners, and using their own branding,” said IBM Food Trust General Manager Raj Rao. “This powerful technology gives network members the option to develop their own governance and determine how and what information is shared.”

Siemens and IBM Deliver Service Lifecycle Management Solution

• Solution combines elements of Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio and IBM Maximo to continuously improve product performance, maintenance and operations
• Establish a digital thread between product design, equipment manufacturers and owner/operators to help reduce equipment downtime and increase production capacity

PLANO, T.X. and ARMONK, N.Y., – Expanding on their long-term partnership, Siemens and IBM announce the availability of a new solution designed to optimize the Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) of assets by dynamically connecting real-world maintenance activities and asset performance back to design decisions and field modifications. This new solution establishes an end-to-end digital thread between equipment manufacturers and the owner/operators of that equipment by leveraging elements of the Xcelerator portfolio from Siemens Digital Industries Software and IBM Maximo®.

“The combined capabilities of IBM and Siemens can help companies create and manage a closed-loop, end-to-end digital twin that breaks down traditional silos to service innovation and revenue generation,” said Peter Bilello, President & CEO of industry research and consulting firm CIMdata. “Only by closing the loop between product design and development decisions, accurate product configurations and service operations, can companies hope to run a profitable and effective product-as-a-service business model.”

OEMs and owner/operators can struggle to improve the performance and reliability of an asset over its operating lifecycle, due to inefficient data sharing between engineering, operations, and maintenance processes. This joint solution from Siemens and IBM creates a single source of information designed to help OEMs and equipment owner/operators improve many aspects about how they design, maintain, and service their assets. In addition, the solution enables OEMs to now provide valuable after-market services to their clients.

“This new collaboration combines two industry-leading offerings into a unique solution for the industry,” said Kareem Yusuf Ph.D., General Manager, IBM AI Applications Business. “OEM’s and owner/operators can leverage the new solution to help them reduce operational costs and increase up time of their equipment.”

The integration of asset management and product lifecycle management (PLM) technology can help owner/operators to stay up to date. The solution also enables OEMs to receive critical data about asset performance, maintenance and failures in the field. Leveraging IoT technology, manufacturers can gain insights on wear and tear, operating conditions, parts failures, and other patterns that lead to design or manufacturing updates. This data can be used to help manufacturers lower maintenance costs, reduce risks, and improve asset resiliency.

“IBM’s Maximo Enterprise Asset Management software provides key technology to further extend the capabilities of the Xcelerator portfolio,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, CEO for Siemens Digital Industries Software. “By leveraging the world-class product configuration management capability within Teamcenter, companies can bring product design, manufacturing and service together to maximize their software investment, while also minimizing downtime, improving quality and reducing inventory costs.”

Wipro and IBM Collaborate to Help Clients Accelerate Their Cloud Journeys

The launch of Wipro IBM Novus Lounge in Bengaluru will foster innovation and build industry solutions leveraging Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Internet of Things

East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA and Bengaluru: Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced a collaboration with IBM to assist Wipro customers embark on a seamless and secure hybrid cloud journey. Through this alliance Wipro will develop hybrid cloud offerings to help businesses migrate, manage and transform mission-critical workloads and applications, with security across public or private cloud and on-premises IT environments.

Wipro IBM Novus Lounge, located at Wipro’s Kodathi campus in Bengaluru is a dedicated innovation center. It will offer a comprehensive suite of solutions leveraging Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Internet of Things capabilities to foster innovation for enterprises, developers and start-ups. Customers will have remote access to IBM and Red Hat solutions, designed to help them scale their technology investments for improved experience and business agility with connected insights. Additionally, Wipro will leverage IBM Cloud offerings and technologies alongside in-house services to develop industry solutions for clients in Banking and Financial Services, Energy and Utilities, Retail, Manufacturing and Healthcare space.

Ramesh Nagarajan, Senior Vice President – Cloud Services, Wipro Limited said, “Wipro empowers customers across industries to re-imagine their cloud journey with its business-first strategy and industrialized solution approach. Wipro IBM Novus Lounge will allow us to showcase hybrid multi-cloud and open source solutions even more comprehensively and support our customers’ continuous business transformation journey.”

Gaurav Sharma, Vice President – Cloud and Cognitive Software, IBM India said, “As companies across the world continue to drive digital transformation, decision-makers must rethink radically on how to leverage the combined power of data, cloud and open source technologies to become industry leaders. Wipro IBM Novus Lounge brings together Wipro’s expertise across industries and IBM’s open source technologies, designed to be secure and scalable across hybrid cloud, Data and AI, all running on Red Hat OpenShift promoting the journey to Cloud and journey to AI.”

Wipro recently received the IBM Beacon Award for Best IBM Hybrid Multi Cloud Practice at IBM PartnerWorld 2020.

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