The sleeping giant IBM has seen fit to wake up to software. In an attempt to regain market share and create a nineties image, IBM is hosting its first major Asia-Pacific event to focus on software.
This week more than 300 customers, distributors and media - mainly in equal numbers from most countries in the Asia-Pacific region - will attend a three-day conference on IBM's software strategy and implementation plans.
They will view demonstrations on IBM donated machines, located in the second largest supercomputer facility in the world on Maui.
Just over a year ago, IBM restructured to focus efforts on software and play catch-up to financially smaller, but more market-smart Microsoft.
Lou Gerstner, IBM's CEO, appointed senior executive John Thompson to manage the software division. John Bisone was pirated away from Compaq at the end of last year to streamline IBM's marketing campaign and give customers a more cohesive look at product offerings.
'There are more users on the Internet and more people networked,' Mike Colleary, director of Asia-Pacific software in emerging markets, said.