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collaborate with one another so they can share critical business information and integrate it 

with their internal systems.  

Also in December, new WebSphere software designed to extend computing to the edge of 

business, offering remote locations such as retail stores, distribution centers or manufacturing 

sites the same computing capabilities for local applications and business processes that are 

available to enterprise headquarters.  

IBM develops a new method of manufacturing low power, high performance microprocessors 

using an industry first combination of silicon on insulator, strained silicon and copper wiring 

technologies. IBM puts the technique immediately to work in volume 90 nanometer production 

at its 300mm manufacturing facility in East Fishkill, N.Y. The company's award wining 64 bit 

PowerPC 970FX microprocessor is the first chip built using this trio of IBM technology 

breakthroughs.  

The company says that Sony Group is investing $325 million to facilitate production of next 

generation 65 nanometer chips in IBM's state of the art 300mm semiconductor manufacturing 

facility in East Fishkill. This investment will help IBM provide capacity for the manufacture of 

the new microprocessor    code named Cell    and other chips to be used in future computer 

entertainment systems and Sony's wide array of next generation digital consumer electronic 

products. Pilot production of Cell microprocessors and other chips for Sony is expected during 

early 2005.  

Sprint and IBM announce a five year, multi billion dollar customer service agreement. The 

agreement is the core of Sprint's new consumer customer service strategy. Teaming with IBM 

Business Consulting Services will enable Sprint to have greater flexibility to scale to service 

according to demand and to adapt in real time to changing market conditions and new product 

and services offerings.  

IBM Business Consulting Services announces that it has entered into a seven year, multi million 

dollar agreement with Marathon Oil Company under which it will administer select accounting 

functions.  

Nokia, the world's leader in mobile communications, signs an information technology (IT) 

services agreement with IBM valued at approximately 200 million Euros under which IBM will 

globally run IT Helpdesk operations as well as manage and further develop Nokia's desktop IT 

environment.  

IBM states that it is working with the New York Stock Exchange on a new order management 

and messaging system in support of the 1.6 billion shares traded daily. The system will be one of 

the world's most sophisticated examples of  Extreme Availability,  relying on IBM computers, 

infrastructure software and engineering expertise for a network designed to virtually eliminate 

downtime.  

The company unveils a new IT service in which IBM remotely automates, manages and supports 

a customer's multi platform data center, while the customer retains ownership of all IT systems  

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