During the IBM InterConnect event in Las Vegas, things got off to a strong start with representatives from IBM and affiliated companies coming together to explore some of their most recent tech innovations.

John Furrier and Dave Vellante of theCUBE, cohosts from the SiliconANGLE Media team, met with Laura Sanders, GM of systems services, global technology services at IBM, to discuss some of these developments and get her angle on ways in which clients are looking to integrate tech in new ways.

Digitize now

Sanders felt that the challenge of meeting the needs of users, clients and start-ups was a stimulating one on both sides of the business partnership. An early point in exploring this relationship focused on one aspect of the digital revolution, that of companies turning to complete digitization of their data assets.

“If you think about it from a customer’s viewpoint … first of all, what great technology and capability and all these forces coming together to get you to digitization faster,” Sanders said. “Secondly, think about how all this helps the CIO [go] from the integrator of systems … to an integrator of services.”

Currently, Sanders is advising clients not to miss out on the digitization opportunity, because: “You might not be here if you do [miss out].”

At IBM, Sanders said, one way of summing up its data services approach is: “Better, faster, cheaper, but also more integrated.” With business partners looking for new compute models best suited to their needs and the needs of their customers, there’s an emphasis on making the new environments clearly understandable for clients once they’ve been fully installed, with important points of access and accountability highlighted from the start.

Automation and engagement

While there’s a common conception of customers being resistant to move toward automation for fears of lost jobs, in Sanders’ experience, it’s usually the opposite. She finds that clients are eager to integrate automation and cloud API services, having what she characterized as a “Bring it on!” attitude as they seek to stay competitive in the market.

Additionally, with IT management essential to modern businesses, many companies that have traditionally not been in the tech sphere are being drawn in by the Internet of Things (IoT) (one example given by Sanders was that of washing-machine manufacturers using cycle data to improve energy efficiency). At the same time, Sanders felt that, like electricity, IT activity should be a behind-the-scenes force, not really noticed until something relying upon it goes wrong.

Bright tomorrow

Sanders was more than optimistic in considering IBM’s role in the technology world. She highlighted a “tremendous” client base helping other possible clients understand the advantages of their IBM partnership, IBM’s status as a global business with consistency throughout various markets, and their ability to take advantage of new technologies as all are contributing to “terrific excitement in the [IBM InterConnect] show so far.”

Sanders also stated that she was “thrilled with all the capabilities announced, both ours and not ours.”

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM InterConnect 2016. And join in on the conversation by CrowdChatting with theCUBE hosts.

Written by Nelson Williams for SiliconANGLE under Creative Commons 4.0 BY-SA

Photo by SiliconANGLE