International Business Machine Corporation or IBM is one of the largest and the oldest international technology and consulting corporations of the world. IBM was founded in the 1911 after the merger of three computing company, and since then the company has experienced organizational changes with the acquisition and merger with other companies such as the Kenexa and SPSS. Currently, IBM operations in five major segments or divisions such as: Global Technology Services, Systems and Technology, Global Financing, Software, and Global Business Services. IBM maintains 12 research laboratories that produced products and features for IBM's patents. With one of the biggest market capitalization, IBM's has access to resources that can be used to fortify the patent and copyrights of the organization.
The recent report of the World Economic Forum and the Institute Europeen d'Administration des Affaires gave UAE a full score in the assessment of the Readiness for the Networked World (Shalhoub & Qasimi, 2007). With this progress, the government inked a deal with IBM Middle East to implement the first phase of UAE's e-government project. This transformation and appreciation of UAE government for the growth and adoption of Internet technologies provided a way for IBM to retain its status in UAE and in the entire Middle East region. It generated a way for the government to import software products and services from IBM; and it also provided an opportunity for IBM to used its products to the e-government project of UAE, thereby increasing the organization's thrust in the region (Oxford Business Group, 2007).
According to Seker (2011) in the journal Importing, Exporting, and Innovation in Developing Countries, "both exporters and importers are more productive, larger, capital and skill intensive than firms that do not have any trading relationships with the rest of the world (p. 4)." This means it is inevitable for any organization to export and import products or services as a tool to improve its current state and the productivity rate of the organization. Without proper interaction with those who have higher R & D, it would be impossible for organizations to move forward with globalization.
The recent report of the World Economic Forum and the Institute Europeen d'Administration des Affaires gave UAE a full score in the assessment of the Readiness for the Networked World (Shalhoub & Qasimi, 2007). With this progress, the government inked a deal with IBM Middle East to implement the first phase of UAE's e-government project. This transformation and appreciation of UAE government for the growth and adoption of Internet technologies provided a way for IBM to retain its status in UAE and in the entire Middle East region. It generated a way for the government to import software products and services from IBM; and it also provided an opportunity for IBM to used its products to the e-government project of UAE, thereby increasing the organization's thrust in the region (Oxford Business Group, 2007).
According to Seker (2011) in the journal Importing, Exporting, and Innovation in Developing Countries, "both exporters and importers are more productive, larger, capital and skill intensive than firms that do not have any trading relationships with the rest of the world (p. 4)." This means it is inevitable for any organization to export and import products or services as a tool to improve its current state and the productivity rate of the organization. Without proper interaction with those who have higher R & D, it would be impossible for organizations to move forward with globalization.
Part of the impact of globalization is the openness of countries to global trade and interaction. In today's business and political environment, globalization is simplified by the value of import and export of two parties or nations. The process of import and export for globalization to follow the setting is symmetrical. This means that one exports and imports at the same time. It is not healthy for one to just import or export without the vis-a-vis pathway.
For over a decade, IBM maintains relationship with the government of UAE ranging from the improvement of road safety to the introduction of new banking solutions. Yet, there are still steps that IBM should improve to better the organization's relationship with the government of UAE and with the entire industries of the region. At the top of these strategies is to retain IBM's collaborative approach to business settings. IBM's collaboration and social business approach helps to increase the impact and reputation of IBM in the community. Instead of just relying on a single direction to improve relations with UAE, IBM taps other resources to meet demands and needs of industries that are vital to the economy of UAE.
However, one of the problems with the export and import of IBM and UAE is copyrights or the issues on patents. Copyright refers to the exclusive legal right assigned or given a person or organization for specific matter or form of something. This definition provides that any person person cannot use the product or a matter on whatever purposes without the express legal permission from the author. The legal framework of copyright is a global one with the intent to ensure that the rights of the person to distribute or sell his or her work are provided and protected from exploitation of other people.
For over a decade, IBM maintains relationship with the government of UAE ranging from the improvement of road safety to the introduction of new banking solutions. Yet, there are still steps that IBM should improve to better the organization's relationship with the government of UAE and with the entire industries of the region. At the top of these strategies is to retain IBM's collaborative approach to business settings. IBM's collaboration and social business approach helps to increase the impact and reputation of IBM in the community. Instead of just relying on a single direction to improve relations with UAE, IBM taps other resources to meet demands and needs of industries that are vital to the economy of UAE.
However, one of the problems with the export and import of IBM and UAE is copyrights or the issues on patents. Copyright refers to the exclusive legal right assigned or given a person or organization for specific matter or form of something. This definition provides that any person person cannot use the product or a matter on whatever purposes without the express legal permission from the author. The legal framework of copyright is a global one with the intent to ensure that the rights of the person to distribute or sell his or her work are provided and protected from exploitation of other people.
In the article Copyright Law in the United Arab Emirates in the Digital Age, Fitzgerald & Olwan (2010) discussed the definition of the UAE Copyright Law, which extended copyrights to computer software, and other technology-based features and products. In conforme with the rest of the copyrights law across the world, the UAE Copyright also provides provision for copyright infringement and the problem thereof. The Safe Harbour definition offers a clear statement on how the government should ensure that the information pathway is secured from indirect and direct attack of those who want to evade the copyright provision.
As much as IBM has been provided for the software solution demands of UAE, it is necessary to ensure that information that travels in the hardware and software of IBM are protected from any possible intrusion. There are threats of hacking that can cause tremendous problem to the road safety and the value of the other industries such as banking. When the IBM system fails, the UAE system also fails. This is the value of importing hardware and software from IBM for the e-government project. As such, to ensure that these failures are avoided, IBM must always keep its system solidified from the attack of third parties. In the same manner, for IBM to avoid being copied without proper permission and legal grant, IBM has to keep its system covered and protected. In the exportation of products to UAE, what IBM is banking on is the law or provision against theft of copyrights and patents.
The importation and exportation of technology-based products is one of the means to increase productivity of the importer. However, the same process of importation also places the company that allows the exportation (in the view of the company) to be susceptible to attacks from others. These synchronized attacks can open the system for copying of other people. As such, the copying of these products, either hardware and software, becomes a problem of the export and import system. In this regard, both the importing country and the exporting country (or business) should look for ways to reduce the impact of the threat and to keep the free flow of import and export beneficial to both parties.
References:
Fitzgerald, B. & Olwan, R. (2010). Copyright law in the United Arab Emirates in the digital world. European Intellectual Review, 32 (11).
Oxford Business Group. (2007). The Report: Dubai 2007. Oxford Business Group. University of Oxford.
Shalhoub, Z. K. & Al Qasimi, S. L. (2007). The Diffusion of E-Commerce in Developing Economies: A Resource-based Approach. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Seker, M. (2011). Importing, Exporting, and Innovation in Developing Countries. World Bank.
