IBM is offering new services, both through the cloud and as on-premise software, to help companies respond to changing consumer and business trends. Dubbed Commerce-as-a-Service and Social Media Marketing, the tools combine technology from key IBM acquisitions such as Unica, Coremetrics and Sterling Commerce with IBM research and development resources. They were designed to help marketers automate their supplier and trading-partner interactions. Commerce-as-a-Service includes a cloud-based configure, price and quote offering, which simplifies the quote-to-cash process by allowing clients to bundle offers automatically. A cross-channel selling component links Web storefronts to mobile devices, social networks and other channels. Users can connect products offered online with in-store purchasing and delivery. Other features of Commerce-as-a-Service include modules for payments and settlement, supplier integration and management, and file-transfer capability. Social Media Marketing offers deep analysis of natural-language processing of consumer sentiment in social media. Customers get tailored, one-to-one marketing offers automatically in real time, IBM said.
