IBM intros e-commerce practice

Hoping to grab a share of the global market for electronic commerce software and services - worth $70 billion annually - IBM has released an e-commerce practice focused on retail operation integration and analytics, writes PC World.

"Through technology, consumers have gotten much more empowered than they have ever been before," says Craig Hayman, the GM of IBM software industry solutions, who heads the new practice.

As a result, retail companies need more information about how well their products and services are faring in this fiercely competitive marketplace, he argues.

According to ITvoir, smarter commerce will drive more consumer engagement for customers. As part of the venture, IBM has dedicated 1 200 staff members for consultation and put a training programme in place for clients and business partners, said sources.

IBM has been integrating its e-commerce segment by acquiring software from tool vendors it has bought over the past few years.

According to sources, IBM spent close to $2 billion in acquisition of software vendors to come up with 'smarter commerce' which will cater for retailers' needs like customer tracking, automated marketing, selling and fulfilment, and managing brands.

IBM's smarter commerce initiatives draw on its WebSphere Commerce platform and a $2.5 billion investment in on-premise and cloud-based software from its acquisitions of Sterling Commerce, Unica and Coremetrics, reports CBR Online.