Digital and physical operating environments are converging, with organizations around the world facing the challenge of building asset resilience. This mandate requires greater digitization and automation. It’s why we modernized IBM Maximo to be the first hybrid-based enterprise asset management (EAM) solution – a major re-platforming onto Red Hat Open Shift that began last year. The modernization and launch of the complete Maximo Application Suite makes our entire portfolio of enterprise asset management software easier to purchase and use. With the right digital infrastructure – spanning edge to cloud computing – businesses can bring together workloads from maintenance, reliability and operations for easy access anywhere.

We are using an ecosystem approach – integrating partner products and intellectual capital – to continue augmenting the Maximo Application Suite with next-generation capabilities. Today, we are excited to announce a collaboration with Black & Veatch to jointly develop and market remote monitoring technologies. We have also announced a new partnership with Siemens Energy to make their digital transformers easier to maintain, as well as new work with Boston Dynamics – including a demo of its SPOT robot aiding in a visual inspection triggered by Maximo. These new capabilities combine near real-time data analytics with artificial intelligence to help customers keep equipment and assets running at peak performance.

We’re working with our technology partner Omnio to deliver pre-built connectors for thousands of device types, allowing easy integration so that organizations can deploy advanced models more quickly. Through our collaboration with Partium, we’ve enabled advanced parts recognition, ensuring that technicians can access all the information they need, wherever they are. And we’re partnering with global systems integrators like EY to bring these solutions to market.

This ecosystem approach combined with the flexibility and resilience of hybrid cloud with Red Hat Open Shift has been the bedrock of our growth. Today, thousands of enterprises in 99 countries use Maximo – from water treatment facilities to manufacturing plants. Maximo has grown rapidly, becoming the leader in the IDC MarketScape for EAM. That growth is in large part due to the fact that we have ensured key capabilities within the Maximo Application Suite can work with and extend EAM products from other providers like SAP and Infor, allowing them to easily tap into the power of our offerings.

Furthermore, we are continuing to invest in the development of cutting-edge asset management capabilities in-house – working with IBM Research to advance AI, machine learning and Quantum capabilities for integration with our applied offerings. For example, the new visual inspection models that underpin Maximo for Civil Infrastructure incorporate powerful new AI capable of detecting cracks and flaws in buildings and bridges. Together, IBM and its partners are helping customers harness the world’s most advanced technology.

If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out some of the sessions at Maximo World 2021, where our customers will gather to exchange ideas and best practices in the field of asset management.

Kareem Yusuf Ph.D
IBM General Manager, AI Applications and Blockchain