Starting in Puerto Rico,
IBM's new Code and Response™ deployment initiative will build,
fortify, test, and implement open source technology solutions at
scale to speed recovery in the wake of natural disasters
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Think 2019 --
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced Code and Response, a new
$25 million, four-year deployment
initiative to put open source technologies developed as part of
coding challenges such as Call for Code in the communities where
they are needed most. Code and Response includes resources to
build, fortify, test, and implement solutions at scale. The
initiative is supported by hundreds of IBMers as part of the IBM
Corporate Service Corps, as well as government and NGO partners to
put those technologies to work saving lives. A new partnership with
the Clinton Global Initiative University will also help provide
college-age developers with the skills and resources they need to
turn their ideas into action. In its first year, Code and Response
will pilot Project Owl, the winning solution from Call for Code
2018, in disaster-struck regions like Puerto Rico, North
Carolina, Osaka, and
Kerala.
Code and Response will include implementation partners such
as the non-profit Information Technology Disaster Resource Center
who will offer feedback on Project Owl's hardware and software
configuration. The ITDRC will provide valuable guidance in
Puerto Rico based on their
extensive experience restoring network access on the island since
hurricanes Irma and Maria.
"Generating ideas through challenges is not enough," said
Bob Lord, IBM Senior Vice President,
Cognitive Applications and Developer Ecosystems. "Every year
natural disasters affect close to 160 million people worldwide. To
take a huge leap forward in effective disaster response, we must
tap into the global open source ecosystem to generate sustainable
solutions we can scale and deploy in the field. But we cannot do it
alone. It is only by working with venerable partners like the
American Red Cross that we will see these technologies really come
to life."
"The Red Cross is thrilled that IBM is continuing to dedicate
resources to help those affected by natural disasters," said
Gail McGovern, American Red Cross
President and CEO. "Our organization is relying on inventors and
innovative companies like IBM to advance the fight against natural
disasters by fostering new ideas that will make a real difference
in peoples' lives."
Following a highly successful first year when more than 100,000
developers submitted thousands of ideas for saving lives in the
face of natural disasters, IBM Chairman, President and CEO
Ginni Rometty announced Call for
Code 2019, reaffirming the company's five-year, $30 million commitment to social impact coding
challenges. The goal is once again to unite the world's 23 million
developers and data scientists to unleash the power of cloud, AI,
blockchain and IoT technologies to create sustainable and scalable
open source technologies. The emphasis this year is on the health
and well-being of individuals and communities threatened by natural
disasters.
Call for Code Creator David Clark Cause and Founding Partner IBM
will once again team with Charitable Partners United Nations Human
Rights and American Red Cross, as well as The Linux Foundation on
the Call for Code Challenge. In its second year, Call for Code
welcomes new supporters Consumer Technology Association Foundation,
Kaiser Permanente and Apttus, and continued support from Delta Air
Lines, Johnson & Johnson, Persistent Systems and others. Call
for Code is pleased to also receive continued support from the
following additional open source foundations and their respective
community members: the Cloud Foundry Foundation, the Cloud Native
Computing Foundation, the Eclipse Foundation and the Node JS
Foundation.
"We're overwhelmed by the success of Call for Code and applaud
IBM and their Code and Response initiative," said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause. "Code and
Response demonstrates IBM's commitment to impacting real change in
people's lives by turning ideas into reality. We're proud to have
IBM as the Founding Partner of Call for Code and excited to
continue inspiring developers to create solutions to some of the
world's most pressing challenges."
About IBM Think
At Think 2019, IBM will outline new offerings, client
engagements, partnerships, technology breakthroughs and developer
tools that underscore how IBM and partners are changing the way the
world works. For more information, visit the IBM Think 2019
Newsroom: https://newsroom.ibm.com/think. Follow the conference on
Twitter at #think2019 and @ibmlive, and go
to https://www.ibm.com/events/think/ for the full
schedule and live streaming agenda.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Sarah Storelli
IBM Developer Media Relations
559-970-3194
sstorel@us.ibm.com
Mike Sefanov
IBM Developer Media Relations
650-281-8099
mike.sefanov@ibm.com
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