The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, Clarkson University and IBM are working together to instrument the Hudson River. The data that's being collected can be analyzed in real time using IBM analytics technology. The river is serving as a model for all the rivers of the world so we can all learn how to use water more efficiently.

Barnes & Noble improved communications with suppliers by deploying a web-based sales and inventory portal on a pre-integrated, pre-optimized data warehouse appliance from IBM. Publishers log on to get metrics on sales and inventory, then use the information to optimize inventory levels and avoid costly returns and stock-outs.

To maximize its ability to meet members’ healthcare needs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is a careful steward of the premium dollar. Nearly 90 percent of every premium dollar received is used to pay the medical expenses of its members – which means that operational costs must be kept to 10 percent or less. Achieving this target requires a detailed understanding of cost and risk in all areas of the business, creating a significant demand for business analytics. BCBSMA has combined IBM Cognos Business Intelligence with an IBM Netezza data warehouse appliance to provide lightning-fast analysis of medical and financial data. The solution is used to create sophisticated reports on clinical and financial risk, operational efficiency, and helps to identify opportunities for strategic and competitive advantage.

Brigham and Women's Hospital was seeking a non-traditional information management solution that would change the game, ultimately developing into a research tool that could learn over time, bringing the very latest drug effectiveness and interaction data right to patients’ bedsides. The BWH information management solution handles massive data volumes and delivers analytics quickly, enabling the research team to conduct multiple drug studies simultaneously, and design, test and apply new algorithms to identify drug risk warning signals.