Saudi Business Machines Ltd. (SBM) is the general marketing and services representative of IBM World Trade Corporation in Saudi Arabia. It is the Kingdom’s leading provider of sophisticated, end-to-end enterprise information technology solutions, based on the complete range of IBM hardware and software products.
SBM’s strength is derived from the depth and breadth of its systems integration, consultation and implementation services. In additional, SBM provides networking, business recovery and operations support, customised maintenance and services support for both IBM and non-IBM products.
SBM employs more than 600 staff across the Kingdom with its headquarters in Jeddah and branch offices in Riyadh, Al Khobar and Jubail.
Product offerings
IBM hardware solutions from SBM allow customers to run e-business solutions on virtually any enterprise platform, using hardware technology that is based on open industry standards. Server offerings include xSeries (Intel based), iSeries (integrated midrange systems), pSeries (UNIX power performance) and zSeries (mainframe zero defect servers), along with IBM’s range of TotalStorage data storage products. SBM also offers IBM’s latest generation of Personal Computer products: the ThinkPad range of notebooks, ThinkCenter range of desktops, ThinkVision monitors and IBM’s Point of Sale solutions.
IBM’s software solutions include IBM DB2, content and data management; IBM Lotus providing collaboration, messaging and workflow solutions; systems integration and web services running on IBM WebSphere; IBM Tivoli for systems management and security and IBM Rational for application development and management.
These solutions are part of IBM’s vision of “On Demand” computing, where systems are autonomic (self healing, self managing, self optimising, self protecting) and scale quickly and easily to cater for changes in requirements.
Services offering
The Business Consultancy Services unit offers high-quality advisory, consultancy, and system implementation services across the complete spectrum of MIS activities. It consists of an integrated set of services covering Professional Consultancy, e-Business Solutions, Systems Integration, Project Management, Strategic Outsourcing (with eHosting provided through IBM facilities), Business Intelligence, Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, and Education and Training.
Integrated Technology Services provides a broad range of IT support, implementation, and management services. These services span the entire lifecycle from assessment, strategy, and design to implementation and operational services. They include e-business Enablement Services, IT Consolidation Services, Networking and Connectivity Services (SBM is a Gold Certified Cisco partner), Infrastructure and Systems Management Services, Business Continuity and Recovery Services, and Technical Support Services.
To manage the unprecedented demand of e-business, SBM also provides consumer and corporate customers Internet Services through its Internet Service Provider unit.
The living Reservoir
A producing petroleum reservoir resembles a complex living organism that must be constantly monitored and its environment changed to optimize its life. This environment is the sum of the wells, the pumps, the pressures maintained, the workovers done, etc. The means of creating the optimum environment is to develop a computer model of the reservoir and use simulation programs to test the effects of possible changes.
Reservoir modeling has been conducted since computers were first used in the petroleum industry. Early models were limited in the geologic detail incorporated. The geology came mostly from the wells and had to be interpolated between wells. The only additional data available was a well’s hydrocarbon production history.
As computers have become more powerful, reservoir models have... ...become much more geologically detailed. A major breakthrough has been the use of 3-D seismic to provide explication of the geologic detail between wells. Horizontal drilling and such have made these complex models crucial to optimising the life of a reservoir.
