IBM today announced the winners of its annual IBM Information On Demand Client Innovation Awards, recognizing IBM customers that have taken advantage of trusted information and analytics to deliver smarter business decisions.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

Chosen from an extensive list of nominations worldwide, winners were selected in multiple categories by a panel of industry thought leaders and IBM executives. Award recipients were honored during a special client luncheon at the IBM Global Information On Demand Conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

"To survive in a world in which margins for error have never been smaller, businesses must find a way to turn their information into a strategic driver for innovation and competitive differentiation," said Ambuj Goyal, general manager, Business Analytics and Process Optimization, IBM Software Group. "IBM applauds all award recipients who have clearly demonstrated how to best capitalize on technology to deliver exceptional solutions that solve real business problems."

The City of New York was granted the Top IOD Solution, for its Health and Human Services-Connect initiative. HHS-Connect will link more than a dozen New York City agencies so that caseworkers are able to securely share client information, thus dedicating more face-to-face time with their clients instead of chasing or managing paperwork. HHS-Connect promises to fundamentally change how the City provides health and human services by ensuring holistic and integrated services that wrap around a family, delivering a more complete understanding of the clients' needs that will ultimately lead to better client care.

Alameda County (California) Social Services Agency and Hrafn were honored in the Outstanding Smarter Planet Solutions category. Alameda Social Services Agency is using IBM analytics to provide caseworkers a consolidated picture of all the benefits a client is receiving across six different social services programs. Fraud detection and validation work that previously took four to six months is now happening in a matter of minutes, helping the County direct funding and resources to where they are needed the most. In total, this initiative has saved over $11 million in taxpayer dollars.

Working with IBM, Hrafn designed and built a smart sensor infrastructure for the Nordics' first track-and-trace service, which - by enabling manufacturers and grocery retailers to view the complete history of a food product - has helped significantly speed response-times to potential food contamination recalls. The system also helps manufacturers and supermarkets improve the responsiveness of the supply chain and quickly adapt to changing consumer buying patterns.

In the category of Outstanding Information Agenda Solution, IBM acknowledged Rooms To Go, the largest independent furniture company in the United States. Rooms To Go collaborated with IBM in developing an Information Agenda strategy that would help maximize sales and profitability. Tapping IBM business analytics technology, Rooms To Go management can now access comprehensive reports that more readily and easily identify shopper buying patterns, enabling staff to optimize floor planning. It also reduced advertising costs by helping marketing staff better target promotions to most likely buyers.

IBM also presented a series of Best IOD Awards, recognizing customers that have exhibited extreme innovation in using IBM Information Management technology to gain significant business or organizational benefits. Winners included:

  --  Best Solution for Business Intelligence - Martin's Point, a
      not-for-profit regional health care provider based in northern New
      England. In addition to improving information access and expediting
      reporting, Martin's Point use of IBM Cognos BI has helped support
      improved care. Today, managers can produce clinical profiles of
      patients and alert member physicians about potential gaps in care.


  --  Best Solution for Performance Management - Qualcomm Inc., the world's
      largest provider of wireless chipset technology. By implementing IBM
      Cognos performance management solutions, the company now benefits from
      fully integrated planning and forecasting that enables management to
      more efficiently plan and oversee cross-departmental strategies.


  --  Best Overall Data Management Solution - Faurecia, a world-leading
      provider of engineering solutions and automotive parts. With up to 800
      distinct users per day connected on a database, Faurecia required a
      powerful and reliable data management solution for its Matrix One
      Product Data Management and SAP applications. Working with IBM,
      Faurecia successfully migrated to an IBM DB2 environment, where today
      the company benefits from increased response times and strong
      performance, particularly when the system is encountering peak usage.


  --  Best Enterprise Content Management Solution - Moody's Investors
      Service, for its Moody's Banking Financial Metrics (Banking FM)
      application. Tapping into IBM enterprise content management
      technology, Banking FM offers this leading provider of credit ratings,
      research, and risk analysis a system that best facilitates banking
      peer comparisons, enhances portfolio monitoring capabilities with
      significantly reduced manual input, and delivers more transparent and
      consistent interactions with issuers and investors.


  --  InfoSphere Award of Excellence - LG Electronics (LGE), a global leader
      and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile
      communications and home appliances. Working with IBM Global Business
      Services and leveraging Infosphere technology, LGE designed and
      implemented a new data warehouse system that enabled stronger decision
      making based on trusted information; reduced global financial
      consolidation efforts from 14 days to 7 days; and delivered more
      effective inventory control with one single global model/parts/master
      concept.


  --  InfoSphere Innovation Award - University of Ontario Institute of
      Technology (UOIT). Using IBM InfoSphere Streams, UOIT is conducting a
      first-of-a-kind research project designed to help doctors detect
      subtle changes in the condition of critically ill premature babies.
      IBM software analyzes a constant stream of biomedical data, such as
      heart rate and respiration, along with environmental data gathered
      from advanced sensors and more traditional monitoring equipment on and
      around the babies. In near-real-time, data analysis insights will be
      fed back to health-care professionals so they can predict potential
      changes in an infant's condition with greater accuracy and intervene
      more quickly.

For information on the IBM IOD Global Conference visit: http://www.ibm.com/informationondemand

For more information on IBM Information Management offerings, please visit: http/www-01.ibm.com/software/data/

  For more information: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/25581.wss

  Twitter: #IOD2009

IBM Analytics: IBM Business Analytics & Optimization Press Kit, and You Tube: "Analytics: How it Works"

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  Contact:
  Kaveri Camire
  IBM Software Group
  +1-914-625-6395
  kcamire@us.ibm.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: david.derosa@ca.ibm.com

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SOURCE: IBM