Replies to post #16318 on The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

From the same IBM article:

Blockchain has a PR problem, largely due to the crazy world of cryptocurrencies. However, Bitcoin and its brethren depend upon permissionless blockchain, while IBM’s blockchain efforts are all permissioned. As a result, the focus of Big Blue’s blockchain efforts are all business.

…IBM has been investing its resources into two industry ecosystems, by partnering with Walmart on a food safety initiative and Maersk on a global logistics effort. For each company, blockchain promises to solve difficult problems that other approaches have not been able to resolve.

…Complex multi-party transactions like those in the food and international logistics supply chains are permissioned blockchain’s sweet spot – but for any blockchain-based effort, the key to success is passing Metcalfe’s Law’s tipping point. In other words, there must be enough participants in each network for other participants to have a business reason to join.

…In conjunction with its partners, IBM is essentially using brute force behind its industry relationships – along with plenty of investment – to push such ecosystems past their respective tipping points. Success is far from guaranteed, but once such efforts are on the downhill side of Metcalfe’s Law, we can expect to see the same kind of hockey-stick exponential growth that AI is now experiencing.

[DewDiligence]

IBM -5%/AH on 1Q18 results/unchanged full-yr guidance:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibm-reports-2018-first-quarter-200800937.html

• Revenue flat YoY in constant currency (+5% YoY in USD).

• Non-GAAP EPS: $2.45, +4% YoY.

• Full-year 2018 guidance unchanged (probably main reason for AH selloff).

[DewDiligence]

IBM has >100 quantum-computing customers—up from 40 a year ago:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ibms-quantum-computing-service-tops-100-customers-11578481200?mod=itp_wsj&ru=yahoo

Should we be impressed?