IBM does not believe in tears!

Introduction

Talking from tears ... ...

8 December 2004 (Wednesday), is a Chinese day of commemoration and pride. China's Lenovo Group (Lenovo) 12.5 billion in cash and stock acquisition of IBM PC. Prior to this, Lenovo's "replace the id" and "become the designation of China Olympics 2008 sponsor" will only be limited to the transmission level of the "internationalization", but mergers and IBM PC global business is moving towards the internationalization of legend real roads, it is the Lenovo (Lenovo) from a regional brand to a global brand transition milestones, as a Chinese person we should be the birth of the new Lenovo proud and cheers!

December 9, 2004 edition of the "business news" published a title for the annexation of oscillation, IBM PC Chinese employees there are bad, "" future ", describes a IBM PC's Shanghai employees hear Lenovo acquired IBM PC mood. "Today will be announced on the company intranet, a change in our individual business unit. Now all people ... She said the more emotion, tears ran out of ... ". 1 in mergers and acquisitions news officially announced, many members of the IBM PC is very difficult to accept the fact. I received a call from a colleague of his wife's phone, she told her husband (I previously in IBM PC's colleague and friend) recently remained in silence, but also for their own future. Many worked at IBM's employees are also mourn for the IBM PC. A former IBM blue Express employees in to my mail wrote: "I have experienced the cultural influence of IBM, a feel for the kind of IBMer (IBM employees of surrogate) are proud of the feeling of heavy and giant. I understand that IBM is like a treasure of the sea, each person in IBM's side, if you are careful, if you put your heart into scoop a soup spoon of sea water is enough to benefit lifetime ... " Many cannot believe they IBMer proud and strive for the IBM PC would thus be "easily" is sold. I don't know about other countries IBM PC's staff, but I know as a common IBM PC's Chinese employees, they do not have any sudden change in mental, psychological and workplace arrangements preparation, they demonstrated on the company decision disappointment, loss and grief, or is exhibiting is indifferent attitude is to be understood. However the enterprise's survival and competition is thus a very cruel games, particularly for IBM a blue giant, it is not possible to tolerate PC business long-term losses, says sell you sell your, there cannot be any warmth and compassion. IBM "remise" Lexmark printer brand, June 2002, sell hard disk product line, 18 members of IBM employees into a Hitachi companies prove that IBM is not believe in tears, never believe!

In China's national enterprises merger a world con PC brand of big events, China's domestic media, public opinion and netizens use "avariciousness" to describe this merger, an understandable and obvious joy and happiness overflows in various reports and text. IBM PC failed! failure is a failure, there is nothing you can say! frankly face failure, failure of experiences and lessons learned for IBM itself, Chinese enterprises and new Lenovo has very real value and meaning!

IBM PC why fail?

From 1981 on August 12, IBM released the first PC to PC business in the late 1980s as IBM Business the greatest revenue and profit one, in part to the IBM PC ThinkPad become the brand of the core part of the IBM PC had been created for IBM another brilliant. United States time magazine said: "IBM enterprise spirit is not scared to human history and unmatched ... No enterprises such as IBM to world of industry and human life lifestyle and will bring such a huge impact. "Even Bill Gates · have to admit:" IBM is the computer industry is truly the Overlord, after all, it was my hand and cultivation. "To me in the IBM PC before and after a short three years of work experience, there is no capacity cannot be a comprehensive analysis of the reason for the failure of the IBM PC. I can only from IBM PC Chinese perspective on some of your own experiences and feelings, reveal some of the "blue giant" in a few places of phenomena, everyone can black dots, is evident. The reader may be able to select from the following several aspects of the phenomenon and to find the traces of IBM PC failures.

First, with the United States in view of the Chinese market, from top to bottom reunification, pipe die.

IBM is a very typical of United States companies, the United States in a number of senior management is very easy to use United States human eye

Question and resolution of regional issues, including China. IBM PC is not in accordance with the "Think Globally, Act Locally"-"reflections on the global concept to local Outlook performs" marketing idea to implementation. IBM PC's global strategy is almost no change of the "Gospel", China's only absolutely obey and follow. In 1998, the IBM PC Asia Pacific, headquarters, nobody wanted to listen to the voices of China, do you want to change the PC configuration, price, produce a consistent with local needs and competitive PC than heaven also difficult. In recent years, as China PC business little by little more than Japan, IBM PC at the headquarters of the United States, Asia-Pacific region seems to be more willing to participate directly in the area of management and control, they give China's power and flexibility. Their own set of guidelines, policy always want China to copying dividends, not out of shape. Such a marketing management thinking has no way to deal with Lenovo's flexible

, HP's tracking and imitate, and Dell's speed and efficiency. In the marketing communication promotion, United States headquarters and regional work instructions too much "guidance", interference, control, IBM PC in China. They mistakenly believe that in the United States succeed in China can achieve success. I had a bit of managers in the Asia Pacific region and the United States headquarters of Manager once the "oppression" China team to accept their opinion in the United States performed very good advertising, and those ads hardly few Chinese customers can understand. While this phenomenon in other sectors also IBM is not new. Take a look at last years (2003-2004) many IBM or sell advertising, those to United States persons as the main image of advertising performance really able to impress and attract Chinese users? absolutely impossible! new Lenovo should be able to draw a lesson, do not use the Chinese market in view of the United States market and solve the problem of the United States market.

Second, IBM integrated marketing communications did not play their sense of efficiency.

IBM was the first to hold high the banner of integrated marketing communication of IT companies. But IBM's "integrated marketing communications" in a lot of time just rigid dogma of formalism. In this I do not mean that IBM implementation of the integrated marketing strategy was wrong, but rather in the IBM corporate culture and management system, integrated marketing communications should not play it. IBM's various operating divisions or take the initiative, his own battle. Integrated marketing is to better integrate the internal marketing resources, reduce duplication and extra marketing promotion Act, form a unified and consistent communication, and that limited internal resources to the maximum. This seems very perfect integrated marketing marketing communication concept in IBM is not so perfect and efficient. IBM has a top-down implementation of a marketing plan for the program, are designed to consolidate marketing problems and set. It can remind develop marketing promotion plan planners and implementers very seriously and take full account of all the various problems in marketing, product, channel, price and promotion. It is a very good marketing process and planning mode. However, because this program in the supervision, management and executive level too cumbersome and complex, from a marketing campaign development, approval, implementation needs three months or even longer. In accordance with the law of the PC business three months after the market situation has changed. Such a marketing scheme means nothing fit PC business fast and ever-changing rhythms and styles. IBM's global advertising agency Ogilvy companies at management models and IBM PC or similar, Ogilvy's Asia-Pacific region are also not given Ogilvy China Team more flexibility and autonomy, Ogilvy and IBM PC with team acts to fear and fear foot hands, not to leichi half a step. For example, all IBM PC ads section includes text, layout and content are subject to IBM PC Asia Pacific and Ogilvy Asia Pacific common auditing and agree to the publication. In such a dual management system, Ogilvy team and IBM PC's marketing team spend a great time and the Asia-Pacific communication, artificial workload was all exhausting, inefficient. Integrated marketing communication does not play its rightful efficiency, nor can really help to IBM PC!

Third, advertising behavior imitate Dell, weaken the brand effect. High brand awareness has not translated into customer buying behavior.

1993 Ogilvy for IBM making company TV image advertisement "elephant lead elephant" has been a lot of people. 1995 Ogilvy for IBM PC production of print ads "whether a step forward or a small step, always brings along the steps of the world" has been a lot of people remember and famous. 1996-1997 Ogilvy for IBM PC's print ads "saddle's article," and "puppet articles" are to increase the value of IBM PC brand advertising works. 1998-1999 Ogilvy's "flight of the IBM ThinkPad notebook"-ThinkPad 770 series 600 and advertising is becoming competitors to imitate. But in the last 4-5 years, with the IBM PC business business status, IBM Asia Pacific region and headquarters and more do not like to see, including China, other regions appear different from the headquarters of the forms of advertising and advertising images, from previous and China team communication, consultation and coordination to the very tough that China region to obey their advertising strategy and advertising style, increasingly tough to perform so-called "integration and unification" image. But IBM these ads from creative or design has been significantly deviated from the original Ogilvy uphold and abide by distinct creative style and design concept, these ads look like it is more like Dell ads pirated-configuration + new + price + a certain amount of characters element. I have worked in their article, "looks more like Dell ... 2 has the following description:" ... The company's marketing department received from sales of enormous pressure, because the sales were of the view: Dell advertisement that type before they really sell. " Therefore similar Dell product directory-advertising become the major computer manufacturers are racing to imitated objects. The machine configuration, pricing, promotions and free Tel catalogue ads become all of PC manufacturers information dissemination theme. But these manufacturers look more like Dell-inverts the advertising can help sales, but to really become a Dell Dell sales of advertising and footnotes and helper, and really hurt their own original brand and thus lost market share. I describe in this article is the IBM PC and many PC manufacturers in the communication strategy on major mistakes. I also think that the "Dell's advertising model like Dell's direct model has no way of simply copying and imitation. The more you imitate Dell

That looks more like Dell, you will become more and more quickly lose self, lost brand, loss of market share ". Dell step by step, he followed her into the quagmire of price comparison. "Therefore, competitors into the quagmire of price comparison is Dell's happy to see. You can say, who's advertising looks more like Dell, who had slipped into the Dell brand and price war traps. ”

IBM brand in a normal user has a very good brand image, especially the ThinkPad notebook. Because of the ThinkPad is technically unique leading edge, plus the unique brand positioning and Dell completely different promotional manner, including advertising, enabling customers to gradually accept "good things to sell expensive" and value for money, the ThinkPad brand values in recent years to regain market share in China in the first position in the market is not surprising. On the contrary, the IBM PC (desktop) the user is also has a very high brand name recognition, but because customers have cognitive PC to configure the remaining simple, and price, but product cost and price factor is not the advantages of the IBM PC, IBM desktop "looks more like a Dell" advertising is precisely the IBM PC's weaknesses. High brand awareness has not translated into customer buying behavior.

Fourth, IBM PC-the absolute leading technology but not the absolute leading market formation.

8 November 2002, IBMPC worldwide (including China) publishes it in the PC business area Think strategy (thinking strategies) and Think strategy based on the commercial customer of ThinkVantage Technologies (TVT technology). This is the IBM PC in the last two years the real time brand remodeling construction and launched to the Dell computer in the true sense of the Jedi counterattack.

Think strategy announcement 3 finger directly to convey to the user by Dell "buy cheapest computer that has the best buying experience," a "backward values." It conveys is that business users in a PC 3-5 years of life how to reduce maintenance and management costs, autonomic computing, self healing and self-maintenance technology, enhancing the productivity of the PC. TVT technology publishing Yager IBM PC and Dell, HP in core technologies, including the unique rapid recovery of data system (RRPC, later called R&R), applied to the user system upgrades management system to transfer technology (SMA), applied to the computer systems secure implantation chip encryption technology (ESS), applied to ThinkPad like car airbag as hard drive protection technology (APS), these are the unique technology enables IBM PC truly out of the quagmire of Dell price core technology. But they seem to be too late! absolutely good technology is no absolute good market. IBM PC TVT technology is definitely ahead of the competition's technology, not a absolute leading market may have the following reasons:

1) TVT technology is relatively complex, some applications simply large enterprises can use. IBM PC business in traditional sectors such as financial (including insurance), Government, telecommunications, transport, etc. larger industry itself has invested in IT appeared obvious signs of slowdown and recession. Customer pockets of budget was also less, the price became very sensitive parts. In their eyes TVT technology is good, they can accept, but the final price.

2) IBM is hope that through these free PC technology allows customers to realize that the "you should be concerned with the use of PC management costs, and maintenance costs." But the fastest most potential Chinese SME user, in their mind rooted or "purchase price" at once. Almost no one would have thought how to reduce costs and maintenance costs, "your technology is good, but some I don't necessarily need, and your price is too expensive." This is a Chinese SME users are the views of the IBM PC.

3) IBM PC hopes to increase the added value of products thereby hope to selling a higher price, but since the end of large off IBMPC, loss of numerous scars makes operation and marketing of TVT technology time is too short. IBM has no way to wait any longer. Therefore, to accept the TVT technology on high-end users are forced to have to Dell in the purchase price has been taken into account. Practical applications from SMEs, TVT technology are not what they really need, they more or taking the "price" element. The time from the operation of the market, the operation of the TVT time too short, IBM TVT technology publication two years more time to sell on your PC. I think the new Lenovo TVT technology should once again hold high the banner, because it is able to bring customers the core values of the latest PC technology solutions, and can truly be Dell, HP and other competitors completely.

Some of the media and critics on the analysis of mergers and acquisitions are not optimistic views and skeptical. Regardless of the new Association is not able to accommodate the inheritance of the IBM PC, IBM's culture or eclectic to form new associative cultural, IBM's culture and management is one of the most basic steps. After all, IBM PC failures with IBM's internal management and culture are directly and inseparably.

"The elephant culture" is a relentlessly by the market out of the corporate culture.

IBM is the former CEO Mr. Guoshina will IBM rescue from the brink of collapse back, in the who says Elephants can't dance? "in IBM as a head of an elephant, and described his in IBM's reform seems to let the elephant jumps a dance. But the elephants dance dance must be slow, clumsy, hobbling pan

Shan and well-organized, elephant dance dance never like monkey like agile, intelligent and full of vitality! IBM company organizational structure on the huge, management procedures and processes of complex are making it in the operation of the PC business operational efficiency is far lower than the competition, his main rival Dell. However, Lenovo and Dell company apparently later is to challenge this elephant of monkeys. If IBM was the first dance of the elephant, IBM PC should be and it was only a dancing legs correctly. Unfortunately, the elephant heavy and slow dance steps and finally there is no way to enable IBM PC to keep up with the pace of agile monkey and market rhythm changes. IBM PC configurations cannot be compared with Lenovo and Dell, but the price is higher than your opponent. Lenovo in the channel advantage is unique. Price, Dell's suppressed continuously erode IBM PC is inherent in the high-end market. China's small and medium-sized user cognitive IBM PC brand, but cannot afford the high opponents 20%-30% of the price. From this elephant's panting to heart rate too rapidly, until the last heart transplant reflect the elephant culture is a relentlessly by the market out of the corporate culture. · Management guru Tom Peters (Tom Peters) in his 2003 album "imagine" again in the analysis of IBM and Sears department store (Sears) pointed out: "... But in the end they (IBM and Sears department store) or failed. Not they paid enough attention to, not vigilant, but their views and practices and the number of new enterprises. They constantly rising star catch, beyond, defeated, finally got into trouble. The new enterprise quicker and more comprehensive use of new tools, new technologies, and new business ideas, so, they succeeded. "Lenovo is known for the speed and efficiency of the company, but with its own scale of huge and great challenges from Dell, speed and efficiency are reduced. In today's competitive market environment is so intense, you slowly will be defeated, you stupid will be eaten. IBM PC is precisely this kind of "the elephant culture" of the victim. In any case new Lenovo is not able to "the elephant culture" as the enterprise culture of survival and development.

"Ice culture" is an insolent arrogance and marketing from big mad attitude

In the IBM corporate culture there is also a "iceberg culture". Simply put it as the Arctic Ocean on a huge iceberg, very often it's not like people imagine so slow and weak, but showed a sharp penetrating and release energy market execution. This speedy forward float and advance the iceberg is no force can stop. Mr. once no guoshina arrogantly said: "If the elephant to dance, the Ant must leave the stage. "Implication is as long as IBM once admitted, determined to push things will go all out, I am like the use of marketing tools, market leading market and gives competitors a strong pressure. "Ice culture" is an insolent arrogance of marketing since the megalomaniac mentality. IBM is worthy of a true marketing concept of "leader". From the beginning of the 90 's "four seas a solution" to the mid-1990s, the "electronic commerce", and then to 2002 's "on demand e-commerce", all of these concepts are reflected a market leader for future customer development needs in the direction of a thorough judgment, analytical and grasp. Each time a new concept of IBM is a leader's perspective appears in front of the market. But all these new ideas and concepts are undoubtedly the market should be on IBM PC have a critical sense, which means that they should give more easily help and achieve sales of IBM PC. Obviously, these insights market strategies and a a "scary" and big advertising and the dissemination of inputs and have not been able to really help to IBM PC to resolve the issue of very real sales. On the contrary, the IBM PC's direct competitors Dell has never been any sophisticated marketing concept, with the exception of costs and efficiency than the IBM PC, all advertising communication in the information on the just price configuration tab. Thus we see that for a long time now the configuration of the IBM PC at low price high, but always impossible and Dell, Dell in various bidding easily defeated the IBM PC. Elephant dance not really directly help IBM PC, "iceberg" in strong sunlight slowly melting.

"Iceberg culture" of many IBMer also exists that kind of arrogance arrogant madness of marketing. They mistakenly believe that the promotion concept for IBM is the world's best idea, "a unique, unique" and "most powerful", they treat the competitors have an irrational despise. "Ice culture" is an insolent arrogance of marketing since the megalomaniac mentality. "Iceberg culture" is the new Lenovo must abandon the culture.

IBM PC-unable to resolve the passion!

Mr. Peters in the pursuit of excellence and passion "on the road that connect the customer value, employees, and innovative relationship between a business leader, the leader in new business must be a passionate team. "Leadership means that visionary, advocate, have passion, love, trust, vitality, passion, dedication and perseverance. Has the leadership of people also need practical concern, shaping the various levels of the hero. "5 let us use the view x-ray IBM managers may also be able to help us learn more about the IBM PC.

From the 1980s onwards, due to historical and political reasons, Taiwan and Hong Kong people walking in the front of the vast majority of the Mainland, to their knowledge, expertise, knowledge, hard work and efforts to win in the United States company's due respect and a place. They naturally become later the mainland Chinese teachers, managers and leaders. United States with many IT companies, IBM integrates Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China's many

$ Culture, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong in the culture and the management of the facility and the collision point, is an objective fact. In my own experience and observation, I think that IBM China three types of administrators:

The first class of managers, since they have 15 years-25 years of experience serving in IBM. They are a lot of people very early on to mainland China. They have a very rich business operations and management experience, while at the same time have a US style and be open-minded of noble qualities. They are very clearly see the difference between mainland Chinese, they are willing to be your own experience, experience and expertise and share to you, they are IBM's professional managers real teacher. They saw and assurance in mainland China it industry change and development, they understand the Mainland, understand the Mainland, more able to very good use of Western culture and management strengths to address the continent's real management and operation of specific problems encountered. This type of IBM Manager they are always able to motivate your team become a passion, creativity and execution team. They have for IBM China culture group after group of elite talent. This type of management in IBM has many, many more.

The second type of management who are from mainland China, Taiwan and Manager of the "rising star". Them from IBM's grass-roots, little by little, do a step by step. They have a deep understanding of IBM's corporate culture, understand the importance of teamwork, they know how to use their professional skills and knowledge to help the team to achieve success and excellence, is IBM's excellent enterprise culture, their leadership team also can be a full of the passion of the team. This Manager at IBM.

The third category managers, among them, many people came to continental very early work in management. But as always in mind has a commanding the "superiority", regardless of their length of time on the Mainland, and always have to be able to truly understand the Mainland, into the continent. This type of management on the continent is "acclimatized". This type of Manager of mainland professional managers in the management style, on the matter of attitude has more or less and their "teacher" of the shadow. I think this type of IBM Manager is very difficult to make out of a passion of the team.

IBM is a profound cultural foundation of the company, its 80 years of honest, best customer service, respect for the individual, the pursuit of excellence and to contribute to the community, were deeply influenced generations of IBMer. IBM corporate culture great inheritance and cohesion makes every bit IBMer has a very strong sense of belonging and pride, even leaving IBM, this pride still exists. Therefore, for the IBM PC's Chinese employees, they lost, anxiety and contradictory feelings are completely you can imagine and be understood! this is not their fault, but IBM's fault! I have the following thoughts and recommendations with all IBM PC share of Chinese District:

First of all, for a long time the community has a "If you want to endowment, to IBM to work", is now proved to be very ridiculous and laughable! remember a Lenovo employees write of the Association is not my home? employees have Lenovo tasted such a bitter taste. So IBM PC colleagues are not alone. From this point of view, your tears is no way to restore the established facts and the overall situation. IBM does not believe in tears, we'll just have to believe in yourself!

Secondly, because we are very proud of our "blue blood", we are very worried about if and Lenovo's blood "red" for the blending of time will not appear "allergy"? I think is really no one to our commitments and guarantee anything, there is a reaction to reflect that this is reasonable. The two companies merged after the labor pains and changes are very good, is easy to imagine, without excessive anxiety, it would be great!

Further, since a long time we were at aura of foreign enterprises, especially IBM rings especially seem bright. We used to the foreign companies provide us with good benefits, payroll, training, etc. Our private enterprise (or national) is the very lack of understanding. We also did not do well in the mentality as a national enterprise work. But I think that as the WTO process growing in China, domestic enterprises especially want to embark on the international stage of national enterprises, the call of their talents and desire is very strong. Their management system, pay, employee benefits, training, promotion mechanisms have been standing in the international companies of the same level. Huawei, Haier, TCL is the best example of this. Foreign-funded enterprises increasingly nationals of treatment, but also makes domestic enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises will stand on the same starting line race is a general trend! since reform and opening up of the first 20 years is the golden age of foreign enterprises, and for the foreign company is one of the best choices. I think the next 20 years working for national enterprises would be a better choice! in multinational company we are a screws only, and for national enterprises work brings a sense of personal values, a sense of accomplishment and pride is the people who work for foreign companies never acquired. This is the era of a call and historical opportunities!

In 1980, 8 December, the world's greatest rock and roll singer, "the Beatles" one of the band's lead singer John · Lennon assassination. John · Lennon's death marks the end of a brilliant rock era to an end. 8 December 2004 IBM PC business sold to Lenovo, which also marks the end of the IBM PC era, one we can expect a new era coming!

May the IBM PC Chinese colleague: raising the new sails, start a new life begins!