Stories by Rob Enderle

IBM and Hewlett-Packard recently held events in Las Vegas. IBM went first and demonstrated how its customers will use Watson to change the world. HP responded by bringing executives on stage to talk about new products. HP can't let its competition keep winning.

With PC sales lagging, Dell is changing its approach with customers. By asking a single question it is improving the company's relationships with its customers and their users. Competitors, take note.

The BlackBerry has always been a business phone. The iPhone wowed us all - and it nearly put BlackBerry out of business--but it emphasizes entertainment and not productivity. If you're an IT executive, it's finally time to put function before form.

IBM is 102 years old. At its height, it was almost a cult, with employees dressing alike, speaking a unique language and earning benefits that took care of them for life. Today's tech companies aren't built to last, as Apple's recent earnings report shows all too well.

IT executives are starting to realize that there's little value in big data without robust analytics systems that can crunch the numbers and give key decision makers (read: their bosses) easy-to-digest information. With so few real solutions on the market, though, this is easier said than done.

Yes, BlackBerry's smartphone market share is small, but it's bigger that Apple's was when it launched the iPhone, and BlackBerry has commitments from carriers. Rob Enderle says BlackBerry's rebranding and its laser-like focus on just two new devices, the Z10 and Q10 phones, position the firm to have a good 2013.

Windows 1.0 came out in 1985. Now, 17 years later, Windows 8.0 is set to be released. For the first time the operating system acts as a window, one that comes in many sizes and offers a view of Microsoft's back-end services. And, despite all the iPhone 5 talk, it pushes Microsoft ahead of Apple.

In the closing keynote at its Developer Forum, Intel CTO Justin Rattner wore headgear that moved artificial bunny ears according to his mood. Don't laugh -- wireless technology that can connect devices to monitors, charge batteries and authenticate users may, in fact, herald the era of the 'bunny ear PC.'

As the Bring Your Own Device trend gains traction, Dell and EMC/Cisco are taking different approaches to desktop virtualisation. Generally, Dell aims for PC users in the midmarket, while the EMC/Cisco partnership may work better for enterprises that have to consider the iPad. Both tacks are worth a look, though.

Samsung is again rumoured to be interested in buying RIM. If it does, Columnist Rob Enderle says, it can choose two acquisition models -- a full-blown merger or one that preserves RIM. History says keeping RIM intact would be a better idea, but history also says it might not happen that way. That would be bad.

Rather than pay lip service to its partners, EMC actually works with them, in effect creating a virtual company of sorts. The company's most recent partnership, with Lenovo, points to a consortium that's just as powerful, but friendlier, than the IBM of yore, CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle says.

After a disastrous quarter, Research in Motion is in a free fall. But there are reasons to remain hopeful for a turnaround. Apple and IBM were in the same position once, too, and things turned out well in Cupertino and Armonk. For Waterloo, Ont., to avoid becoming the second Waterloo that ended an era, RIM needs to learn four things from the Apple and IBM.

Reports of the death of IT departments in the Bring Your Own Device era have been exaggerated. However, if IT doesn't accept its new role one that's focused less on individual user support and more on setting policies then it might be time to write the obituary.

There is an interesting post from the Microsoft Windows team on the Windows On ARM (WOA) version of Windows 8 that was recently renamed Windows RT-which reminded me why I'll never do Microsoft naming again. Windows RT is targeted directly at the iPad users who are bringing that product into the enterprise today on a wave of trend we are alternatively calling consumerization of IT or Bring Your Own Device ( BYOD) because we evidently can't come to a consensus on just one term.

HP and IBM both launched major new Cloud initiatives this month, and the differences between the two efforts highlight the divergent approaches that each firm's leadership is pursuing.