IBM announced yesterday that they’ve opened a new analytics center in Tokyo
IBM today announced the launch of its Tokyo-based IBM Analytics Solution center which is part of a recently announced global network of analytics focused centers. Through these centers, IBM is addressing the growing demand for advanced analytics capabilities need to help clients build smarter business systems and drive improved decision-making.
The new center is co-located at IBM’s Marunouchi office in Tokyo as well as at IBM’s Yamato Lab in Kanagawa Prefecture. It will draw on a wealth of global IBM expertise, including more than 150 mathematicians and software engineers at IBM Research – Tokyo and Yamato Software Development Laboratory to help companies turn data into predictive intelligence. Initially, the center will be staffed by up to 500 IBM Japan consultants, researchers and software experts, with additional expertise added over time.
The announcement focuses on business analytics and is a natural consequence of IBM’s acquisition of Cognos and iLog. But I would be surprised if they don’t also use this as a platform to get more attention for their System S (and here), the streaming data analysis platform built on Blue Gene.