[Katsuyuki Okawara's Keyman Watch] Ask President Takashi Uesaka why Kindrill Japan does not use the letters "DX" in its strategies and policies --Cloud Watch
I took the time to explain to customers
――What have you been focusing on since the establishment in September 2021?
At the time of the establishment of Kindle Japan, we explained to the customers who had a contract with IBM Japan, and what IBM Japan promised was that Kindle Japan would take over firmly, and in addition, By splitting the company, we took the time to explain the new value we can provide to our customers.
There was a scene where Mr. Akio Yamaguchi, President of IBM Japan, was present, and there were times when we alone would bother customers who wanted to hear the direction of Kyndryl.
――How was the customer's reaction?
We also received frank opinions such as "Is it okay to split the company?" However, since IBM Japan's Global Technology Services (GTS) business is an independent company, I explained that there was no change in the person in charge, leader, or person in charge of the customer, and if there was any concern, I would like to respond to it. I talked about how to deal with each one carefully.
The direction in which the Kyndryl goes is simple. However, because it is simple, strength and depth are required, and we believe that there are expectations from our customers. Many customers are worried about how to stabilize the system and how to renovate the system including the cost structure. If Kyndryl cannot make a solid contribution to that, I have a sense of crisis that the transformation of Japanese customers will stop.
When I talked with the CxO people and explained what Kyndryl was aiming for, I feel that there were many customers who could understand "Is that the case?"
Kyndryl's Customer Success & Service Excellence――What kind of point is that?
Behind the understanding are some of the challenges companies face. First, many companies are building systems using products and solutions from various vendors so that vendor lock-in situations do not occur, but there is no company that can integrate this and entrust the operation. It was the actual situation. There was no company that could be entrusted with integration and operation from the customer's perspective and priority, without being biased toward a specific vendor. That's why Kyndryl chose to do business independently without investing IBM's capital.
Second, looking at the composition of corporate engineers, the people who built the core system are aging, and the generation immediately after that is refrained from hiring due to the influence of the bubble, and the current generation touches the core system. The point is that there are few opportunities. The age distribution of engineers has created a situation like "Bactrian camel", how to inherit the knowledge and skills of seniors, and how to develop knowledge and skills related to infrastructure for the younger generation. I have a problem in terms of points. The strength of Kindrill Japan is that it has a large number of employees who are familiar with system infrastructure, and it can be said that it is the best company to help solve these problems.
Thirdly, in addition to such system complexity and internal human resource development issues, how to build a system that matches the growth of the medium-term management plan, how to improve cost efficiency, and cloud migration. The point is that customers are worried about various issues such as how to think about.
There are many companies that support DX, but how much mission-critical knowledge you have is an important factor in promoting DX in the future. Kyndryl has a long history of know-how on the construction and operation of mission-critical systems centered on mainframes, and shows that it will continue to work here in the future. Few companies are actually saying this. Mission-critical know-how is becoming more and more important as cloud shifts occur. Kyndryl's attitude of taking care of core business, a sense of responsibility, and preparations for that, and being able to face the cloud shift together will lead to providing great value and a sense of security to our customers.
In this way, many customers understand that Kyndryl is useful for the area where the CIO is in trouble, and that Kyndryl was established with an eye on the future of society. I think you were able to do it.
