David Vellante theCUBE Host and Wikibon Analyst

Although IBM took earnings misses “on the chin” recently, analysts say that the company should continue to embrace its transition to cloud, Big Data, and analytics products. In their kickoff segment at this year’s IBM Insight 2014 event, theCUBE co-hosts Dave Vellante and John Furrier discussed the action IBM should take and the challenges the tech giant must overcome.

Both hosts asserted that while IBM faced criticism for buying back stocks, this is regular behavior for large companies in a transition period. Certain segments IBM’s arsenal of software and service products performed well, but not well enough to offset the declines that more mature businesses like hardware, faced.

IBM has long been a thought-leader in critical aspects of new, data-driven customer engagement products, said Furrier, emphasizing that if IBM continues this push, the investment will pay off. Vellante added that since IBM has long-established relationships with global companies and huge service providers — like big banks, insurance companies and manufacturers, — it will make gains as these behemoths adapt to the new software-centric world.

IBM’s cocktail of “cloud, security, systems engagement, data, and analytics” will help revolutionize the way these companies relate to their customers, the analysts concluded.

Watch the complete interview below, and watch all archived clips from the event on SiliconANGLE’s YouTube Channel here.

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