New IBM Solutions Portal for Small and Medium Businesses

IBM Smarter Office Portal Offers Self Assessment and Solutions Mapping for Expansion Purposes

Petaling Jaya, 20 March 2012 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) has just launched a Smarter Office portal www.ibm.com/my/smarteroffice targeted at small and medium enterprises that would like to build on their existing basic IT infrastructure to meet further business growth or future expansion plans.

“Current challenging business environment has resulted in a growing myriad of mission-critical issues that need to be considered carefully. In this portal, organizations can take a self assessment via the IBM Smarter Office Advisor. This web-based diagnostic tool has been designed specifically to help organizations identify personalized path to gaining maximum value from existing and future IT infrastructure. The questionnaire here will help assess pain points and recommend solutions based on the IBM Solution Mapping,” said Vincent Ler, General Manager, General Business, IBM Malaysia.

The assessment tool is segmented into 4 main sections:
1. Understanding your company - industry, company size, role in company

2. Knowing your plans; setting up new office, adding branches, moving to next level of tech adoption

3. Identifying your challenges - possible questions: lack of formalized processes, no automated backup, Inability to estimate storage needs

4. IBM’s recommended solutions - Storage Management, Business Intelligence Collaboration, Database Software

Upon completion of the assessment, organizations would be able to maximize the value of existing infrastructure for growth and three white papers would be available for downloading.
The IBM eShop featured in the portal is just a click away. In the portal, organizations would also find several avenues for communication with the IBM sales team such as a toll free number – 1800 88 1155, online chat, email, and quick note. There is a link in the IBM eShop that takes organizations that require financial assistance to IBM Global Financing (IGF).

Organizations that require financing options can look to IGF as an alternative for IT solutions financing. IGF is the world's largest technology financier with US$36B assets and provides the broadest portfolio of IT financing and asset management solutions that deliver greater economic value throughout the technology lifecycle. Created in 1981, IBM Global Financing operates in 50 countries.

The portal’s development is currently in its second phase. This phase includes a section on volume offers where organizations can make bulk purchases at special promotional prices, and a social media page focused on small and medium enterprise solutions.

For more information, please visit www.ibm.com/my/smarteroffice.