Stamford-based Pitney Bowes Inc. recently announced it will collaborate with Armonk-based IBM Corp. to develop a new location services platform that integrates cloud computing.
Location services serve as a tool for businesses to connect with customers, their geography and networks to deliver more personalized services and contextually relevant experiences. Cloud computing allows for easy access to information technology services by retrieving resources from the Internet through Web-based tools and applications.
IBM’s BlueMix, a cloud platform, will help developers expedite the adoption of hybrid clouds, which involve public and private computing. The initiative combines the strength of IBM software with third-party and open technologies. Pitney Bowes is providing one of the first third-party solutions available to developers and companies on the new BlueMix platform, according to a press release.
Globally, more than 1.2 billion people use Pitney Bowes location intelligence solutions when accessing major social media platforms such as Twitter to check in or share their locations. This hyper-accurate location data allows businesses to improve underwriting decisions, better analyze network coverage and deliver more targeted promotions to consumers based on information such as when and where they are likely to make a purchase.
The partnership gives Pitney Bowes an opportunity to extend location-based services, e-commerce, Internet postage and parcel management to a larger group of innovators and developers, and increase the availability of its hybrid services to new markets globally.
“Together, IBM and Pitney Bowes are developing a powerful lineup of cloud services around mobile application development and location intelligence,” said Steve Robinson, general manager of IBM cloud platform services, in a press release. “This open-platform collaboration will inspire development that accelerates innovation and fosters growth.”
