IBM goes all in with blockchain.
IBM this week announced a blockchain ecosystem designed to help accelerate the creation of networks using the technology.
The ecosystem program is designed for large-businesses, startups, systems integrators, independent software vendors and enterprise developers. To support the diverse organizations, IBM plans to provide education and tools aimed to reduce the time required to go from idea to execution.
The programs are designed to support the Linux Foundation Hyperledger Fabric and the IBM Blockchain platform, which the company claims will “transform the way the networks transact, opening up new possibilities for development.” The Hyperledger Fabric is designed to provide a modular approach, much like the network-of-networks model of the internet.
“The future growth and adoption of blockchain is reliant upon building a strong ecosystem,” said Bridget Van Kralingen, SVP of IBM Industry Platforms. “Business networks will only reach critical mass when innovators, industry experts and infrastructure providers come together in new ways to reinvent how business transactions happen. The growing maturity of the Hyperledger Project code is a major milestone.”
Those already participating
IBM claims its ecosystem is an environment where organizations can collaborate on shared or complementary technical and business visions using the Hyperledger Fabric, and access education and development support. IBM says that because blockchain is a network business with an environment where all interested parties can share tools, information and relationships is critical. Startups, ISVs and SIs are said to be investing in the technology and have embraced the Hyperledger Fabric.
IBM noted companies that have joined the ecosystem include Cloudsoft, EY and Everledger.
Cloudsoft is said to be using the platform to help developers focus on creating chaincode applications and reduce time to value for enterprises investigating and working with the technologies, such as financial institutions setting up their own Hyperledger blockchain networks running across multiple geographies. EY claims to help clients leverage blockchain in their business solutions, while U.K.-based Everledger is using IBM Blockchain to authenticate and trace the origin of luxury goods authenticated by trusted players like certificate houses.
