Mid-Range had two team members, Jeff Willar and Josh Druxerman, attend Think 2023, which was held in Orlando, Florida, on May 9-11. Here are their reflections…

The conference was packed with four eventful days, featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and evening social networking events.

Day 1 was an exclusive partner invitation-only day, where esteemed partners from around the globe gathered to gain insights into IBM and its partner community. Days 2 and 3 were customer-focused, bringing together top customers from various parts of the world.

Throughout the conference, we had the privilege of hearing from industry experts and customers who shared their perspectives on big data and data-intensive workloads. Notably, Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM, delivered an inspiring message about transformative technologies like Hybrid Cloud and AI.

Here are some notable highlights from the conference:

  1. IBM introduced WatsonX, an enterprise-ready AI and Data platform that empowers organizations with advanced capabilities.
  2. Quantum Safe Technology, a groundbreaking end-to-end security solution for quantum computing, was unveiled.
  3. Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud, a powerful platform powered by Kubernetes, enables the efficient execution of containerized applications and workloads.
  4. IBM Turbonomic utilizes AI to optimize performance and cost in hybrid cloud environments.
  5. IBM Instana, an observability tool, offers comprehensive incident prevention across the entire IT stack, similar to our “Hive” concept.

The conference emphasized several key areas:

► AWS and SAP partnerships, including the integration of IBM Watson technology (AI) into SAP and the availability of IBM software in the AWS Marketplace.

► Hybrid Cloud adoption and its significance for organizations.

► Sustainability, with recognition given to BMO as one of the top three companies in the financial industry for sustainability practices.

►The ubiquitous focus on Artificial Intelligence and its transformative potential.

► Automation, particularly workflow automation, as a critical element of digital transformation.

► Data security and the urgent need to protect data, especially considering the potential vulnerability of current encryption solutions to Quantum Computing. IBM’s Quantum Safe Technology addresses this challenge.

 

 

Overall, the conference was a resounding success. Over the four days, we had the opportunity to meet interesting people and engage in meaningful discussions with partners and customers, gaining valuable insights into the direction of the market. The ability to interact face-to-face proved immensely valuable, fostering deeper connections and knowledge sharing.