IBM has introduced new software and services to support electronic commerce in the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplaces. As part of its Smarter Commerce Initiative, IBM is offering products that it said will help companies adapt to new trends in marketing, selling and servicing. The suite includes a customer value strategy accelerator, through which IBM industry and strategy specialists present clients with a road map and set of recommendations for new business models that address the needs of the social, digital and mobile consumer. In addition, through a cross-channel experience assessment, IBM specialists provide analyses by channel, identify "pain points" and constraints, and map customer expectations and behaviors. WebSphere Commerce and Coremetrics web analytics tools supply insight from statistics, charts and dashboards to determine the effectiveness of client marketing programs, call-center performance and cross-selling initiatives. A Coremetrics Lifecycle offering delivers via the cloud the ability to track customer advancement milestones, with the goal of optimizing investments in marketing programs, content and products. Through the integration of Coremetrics Intelligent Offer and WebSphere Commerce, companies can gain insight into online buying trends. The Sterling Configure, Price, Quote module is embedded with business intelligence by Cognos to help streamline the quote-to-cash process. In the area of social business, the integration of Coremetrics Social Analytics with WebSphere Commerce helps users to measure the impact of social activity on their commerce websites. Integration of the WebSphere Commerce tool with Sterling Order Management aids in the optimization of inventory investments, through enhanced visibility and intelligence around current inventory positions and sourcing options.
