On Friday, January 27, IBM's Systems and Technology Group (STG) announced the appointment of Elaine Lennox to the role of Vice President of Marketing for System i5, reporting to Mark Shearer, General Manager of IBM System i5, on the heels of the departure of Peter Bingaman. Most recently, Elaine was Vice President for SMB & Ecosystem in the IBM Systems and Technology Group. She brings extensive SMB knowledge, international experience, and an innovative perspective to the System i5 marketing team. Moreover, it is likely that Elaine's appointment will strengthen and enhance the progress made heretofore with the IBM Express Solutions.
While there may be reservations regarding Elaine's experience in the large enterprise arena, it is important to recall that during the past three years, IBM as a company has made a renewed and consistent commitment to the System i5. The momentum, begun three years ago, has been steady in all growth areas, including creating an improved coverage model, forging stronger Business Partner relationships for the SMB market, increasing awareness of the System i5 value proposition, and improving the retention/recruitment of ISVs, resulting in over 600 i5/OS applications.
Today, under Mark Shearer's leadership, the System i5 marketing team is greater than the sum of its parts and is the strongest it has been in over a decade. The appointment of Elaine Lennox is not only fitting at this time, but a positive harbinger of the future of the System i5.
Maria A. DeGiglio is President of, and Principal Analyst for, Maria A. DeGiglio & Associates, an advisory firm that provides clients with accurate and actionable information on business and technology initiatives. You can reach Ms. DeGiglio at
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