Content about IBM

March 29, 2013
Ahold appoints former IBM executive as chief information officer

Ahold USA has appointed Paul Scorza as its chief information officer, the supermarket operator said Friday.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold USA has appointed Paul Scorza as its chief information officer, the supermarket operator said Friday.

Ahold USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Netherlands-based Royal Ahold, said Scorza would assume the new position on Monday, based in Quincy, Mass., overseeing all Ahold USA information management functions, with a focus on systems and business processes to improve efficiency, effectiveness, controls and operations, reporting to EVP finance and CFO Paula Price.

January 21, 2013
Kimberly-Clark appoints former Honda, IBM executive as chief information officer

Paper-products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark has appointed Jennifer Sepull as its chief information officer and VP information technology services, the company said.

DALLAS — Paper-products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark has appointed Jennifer Sepull as its chief information officer and VP information technology services, the company said Monday.

Sepull, who will report to SVP and CFO Mark Buthman, previously was VP and chief information officer of the information systems division at American Honda Motor Co. She also previously worked for IBM and pursued several business ventures.

September 7, 2012
Lessons from mobile gaming applied to CPG brand engagement

User engagement is critical to driving brand loyalty. Mobile gaming can offer a unique perspective on how consumer packaged goods firms can engage their consumers.

User engagement is critical to driving brand loyalty. Mobile gaming can offer a unique perspective on how consumer packaged goods firms can engage their consumers.

July 27, 2012
IBM: 2012 holiday shopping season to be 'the year of mobile'

IBM's fifth annual "Online Retail Holiday Readiness" report has uncovered that 2012 may just be the year of mobile.

ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM's fifth annual "Online Retail Holiday Readiness" report has uncovered that 2012 may just be the year of mobile.

Based on data from more than 500 U.S. retailers, the report found that online mobile sales increased 88.8% in second quarter 2012, compared with year-ago period.

What's more, IBM is forecasting that mobile sales will reach 20% of total online holiday sales this holiday season, and that mobile traffic will close in on 25%.

July 20, 2012
IBM study: Sales from mobile devices up 15% in Q2; social shopping drops

Mobile shopping rose in the second quarter while social media sales fell, providing an indication of where U.S. retailers may invest in order to capture the attention and loyalty of the digital consumer, according to a new report from IBM.

ARMONK, N.Y. — Mobile shopping rose in the second quarter while social media sales fell, providing an indication of where U.S. retailers may invest in order to capture the attention and loyalty of the digital consumer, according to a new report from IBM.

The IBM Retail Online Index, a cloud-based analysis of the online retail sector, reported that retailers experienced 15% growth in sales from mobile devices but saw a 20% decline in sales traced to social media based on a much smaller base over this three-month period.

March 9, 2012
Reaching Hispanic consumers via mobile marketing

From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. Hispanic population surged 43%, far surpassing U.S. Census estimates. With a growth rate more than four times that of the entire country, and an expected 2015 purchasing power well in excess of $1.25 trillion, the U.S. Hispanic population is a key market segment for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies seeking to expand their domestic customer base. The most successful companies will be those that can effectively engage these consumers and develop enduring brand loyalty.

From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. Hispanic population surged 43%, far surpassing U.S. Census estimates.  With a growth rate more than four times that of the entire country, and an expected 2015 purchasing power well in excess of $1.25 trillion, the U.S. Hispanic population is a key market segment for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies seeking to expand their domestic customer base. The most successful companies will be those that can effectively engage these consumers and develop enduring brand loyalty.  

January 11, 2012
IBM: Mobile shopping doubles over holiday

On Tuesday, IBM released its final benchmark announcement for the 2011 holiday season, detailing a continued strong performance for mobile, as well as an overall increase in online spending for December 2011.

ARMONK, N.Y. — On Tuesday, IBM released its final benchmark announcement for the 2011 holiday season, detailing a continued strong performance for mobile, as well as an overall increase in online spending for December 2011.

According to the report, the U.S. online retail sector delivered 7.5% growth in December 2011, compared with the same period last year. This followed a strong November where both Black Friday 2011 and Cyber Monday 2011 delivered double-digit growth over 2010.

Other key findings of the IBM report included:

November 11, 2011
Holiday season 2011: Driving in-store traffic via mobile devices

With the holiday season fast approaching, there has been a significant amount of press coverage regarding the role mobile devices will play in driving retail sales this season. The consensus is that mobile devices are changing the shopping landscape, and that the 2011 holiday season will be the tipping point — the year that consumers widely integrate mobile devices into their shopping routine.

With the holiday season fast approaching, there has been a significant amount of press coverage regarding the role mobile devices will play in driving retail sales this season. The consensus is that mobile devices are changing the shopping landscape, and that the 2011 holiday season will be the tipping point — the year that consumers widely integrate mobile devices into their shopping routine.

September 12, 2011
Dr. 2.0: WellPoint uses IBM Watson technology to develop healthcare applications

Healthcare giant WellPoint has inked a deal with IBM whereby it will develop applications using IBM's Watson artificial intelligence technology to deliver healthcare information to patients.

INDIANAPOLIS — Healthcare giant WellPoint has inked a deal with IBM whereby it will develop applications using IBM's Watson artificial intelligence technology to deliver healthcare information to patients.

Watson, named for IBM founder Thomas Watson, is a system developed by IBM scientists designed to mimic a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural language that earlier this year appeared on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" and won against two human contestants.

August 24, 2011
Winn-Dixie to implement self-checkout technology

Winn-Dixie has selected IBM point-of-sale and self-checkout technology to help transform customer service, speed innovation and increase the operational efficiency of 484 Winn-Dixie store locations and other store formats across the southeastern United States, IBM reported.

ARMONK, N.Y. — Winn-Dixie has selected IBM point-of-sale and self-checkout technology to help transform customer service, speed innovation and increase the operational efficiency of 484 Winn-Dixie store locations and other store formats across the southeastern United States, IBM reported.

March 15, 2009
Why private sector needs to lead on health reform

As the editor of the publication, I have both the blessing and the curse of...

As the editor of the publication, I have both the blessing and the curse of deciding which stories make it into the magazine each issue. It is a curse because these can be very difficult decisions to make; beyond which stories make the lineup, there is always the issue of how much of the story we choose to run. After all, a page only holds so many lines of copy.