IBM moving into broader SysAdmin work

TECHNOLOGY: "IBM Dives Into Water Venture: Touting "Smarter Planet," Big Blue Pushes Technology to Manage Resources," by William M. Bulkeley, Wall Street Journal, 13 March 2009.

I do like the commercials.

IBM seeing a future in water management, alt energies and carbon management makes a lot of sense to me.

The rise of the global middle class will invariably re-price every resource on the planet, with the biggest changes occurring in the realms not previously well-priced--like water.

I admire IBM for the vision.

Comments

[Matthew Garcia]

FYI, from a short time on the near-inside of this, at least part of this effort is an outgrowth of IBM's "Big Green Innovations" division that is also working on the "Smart Grid" for better electricity infrastructure. That venture seems to be gaining traction in the Dept. of Energy and the Obama administration...

The problem with doing the same for water is that the responsibility even at the federal level is significantly decentralized. There are at least two federal water-control agencies and nine water-related federal regulatory agencies, and that doesn't even consider organizations and affiliations at the state and interstate levels. What we do not want is a cobbled-together agency for oversight like the DHS was (and still is, though getting better). We in the water sector need not only smarter technology, but a smarter approach to managing all of that with the cooperation and support of all the people involved at every level of administration and regulation. IBM's approach from the technological side is great, and visionary as you suggest, but the people side still needs a lot of work...