Middleware: Enabling value-add middle-men of the global economy

In a global economy, business strategies replace phrases such as “barrier to entry” with phrases such as “temporary advantage” since the widespread adoption of networked technologies creates economies in which access to the expertise and insights makes it easier for competitors to adopt and enhance innovative thinking quickly. These networked technologies enable innovative collaboration by removing barriers typically associated with geography, organization, and government. Companies no longer need to employ the best expertise; they simply need to have access to experts who add value through their collaboration in business processes. These experts become “value-add middlemen”. Since the openness and collaborative dynamic found in a global economy allow these experts to become “value-add middlemen”, the middleware that matters is the technology that makes it possible for middlemen to serve those interested in their value-add expertise.

Bio:

John W. Sweitzer is an IBM Distinguished Engineer with more than 25 years of experience developing architectures for large complex software systems. Currently, he is the Director for the Outside-In Design initiative – an initiative looking at the design practices that impact the consumability and business relevance of software. Prior to this job, John was the chief architect for IBM’s Autonomic Computing initiative in which he led a team of senior engineers that developed architecture and some related industry standards for self managing systems. Before that, John, as the chief architect for the Tivoli brand, establish the technical foundation for the IT services management strategy. These are just some of the examples of the cross divisional project John has lead or participated in.

John was a founding member of the DMTF standards committee for the Common Information Model. John authored a book about the DMTF Common Information Model and has several external publications.

John was named an IBM Distinguished engineer in 1999 and was elected to the IBM Academy of Technology in 2004. John received a B. S. in CMPSC from The Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and a M.S. in CMPSC from The North Carolina State University in 1995.

John is also a 3rd degree black belt and certified instructor the American Tae Know Do Association.