The Global Integration Agenda

Alfred Z. Spector, CTO, Software Group, IBM

Thursday, April 20
12:15pm - SENSQ 5317

Pizza at noon

Hosted by Jose' Brustoloni

Abstract

After fifty years of I/T investment, almost one quarter of the accumulated, U.S. private fixed equipment assets are now computers, software, and networking products. There is tremendous diversity of technology and applications, and this diversity has two clear implications: (1) The integration of information and process in the global economy is inherently complex: dynamic, heterogeneous, multi-generational and almost unbounded in scale. (2) The integration will have manifold benefits and will continue to generate tremendous research and development opportunities. This presentation lays out key elements of the technology agenda for people, process, and information integration, with a particular focus on the implications for both computer science education and research.

Biography of Speaker

Dr. Alfred Z. Spector is the chief technology officer and vice president of Strategy and Technology for IBM.s Software Group (SWG), the second largest software business in the world. He oversees the strategic direction for SWG, focusing on a diverse array of activities including open standards and open source software, advanced software development methodologies, and innovative technology engagements. Spector is leading the integration and transformation of IBM.s middleware across all IBM software brands, including; WebSphere, DB2, Lotus, Tivoli and Rational. IBM Software Group has over 40 locations and 25,000 developers worldwide.

Spector was previously the vice president in IBM Research who set IBM.s worldwide services and software research strategy. He was also the general manager of marketing and strategy for IBM.s middleware business and general manager of IBM.s transaction software business. Spector was founder and chief executive officer of Transarc Corporation, a pioneer in distributed transaction processing & wide area file systems. Transarc was acquired by IBM in 1994. He was a tenured faculty member of the Carnegie Mellon University computer science department prior to his founding of Transarc in 1989.

Spector received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University and his A.B. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering recognized for his contributions to the design, implementation, and commercialization of reliable, scalable architectures for distributed file systems, transaction systems, and other applications. Spector is also an IEEE Fellow and the Recipient of the IEEE Kanai Award in distributed computing.