IBM Forms Internet of Things Unit
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IBM has formally created an Internet of things business unit on Monday and appointed Harriet Green, the former CEO of Thomas Cook Group in the UK, to lead the new division. Green, 53, has been named vice president and general manager of the new IoT division and will soon oversee a unit that will eventually comprise more than 2,000 consultants, researchers, and developers that take advantage of IBM’s Watson, analytics, and cloud.
Green will lead the IoT unit, which is in some ways a spin-off from the big data and analytics division. IBM said it will spend $3 billion over the next four years on industry-focused uses for its cloud, analytics and cognitive computing technologies. The Internet of things is seen as a growth market for many technology vendors. IBM is likely to duel General Electric as well as companies like Cisco.
IBM has previously landed IoT deals with The Weather Company and AT&T.
The education unit, which is likely to have a healthy dose of Apple incorporated, will launch later in 2015, said IBM. Green will also manage that division.
Green is credited with transforming Thomas Cook Group. She was also CEO of Premier Farnell, which is a distributor of technology products. She was also an executive at distributor Arrow Electronics.
Green is the third high-profile hire of a former CEO by IBM in recent months. Last week, former Philips Healthcare CEO Deborah DiSanzo was named as General Manager of IBM’s Watson Health unit and last year, IBM hired Jeff Smith as the company’s CIO to lead IBM’s internal digital transformation. Smith was CEO of Suncorp Business in Australia.
