>> Live from San Francisco. Its The Cube. Covering IBM Think 2019. Brought to you by, IBM. >> Okay, welcome back everyone, live here in The Cube here in San Francisco, exclusive coverage of IBM Think 2019. I'm John Furrier and Stu meeting next guest is Calline Sanchez, Vice President of IBM Systems Labs Services. New role for you, welcome back to the cube. >> Yes. Thank you for asking me back. >> So the new role, Vice President of the Systems Lab Services. Sounds super cool, sounds like you got a little lab in there, a little experimentation >> yeah think of it as a sandbox for geeks worldwide. And what that means is we enable high performance computing deployments as well as what we do with blockchain and also artificial intelligence. >> So its a play ground for people that want to do some big things, solve big problems, what are some of the things that you offer, just take us through how it works. Do I just jump in online, is it a physical location? What's it like ? In 2018 9000 plus engagements worldwide in 123 countries. So to net it out is, it's not necessarily a single lab or a single garage, we have multiple locations and skills worldwide to enable these engagements. >> How big is the organization roughly? Its over a thousand folks, consultants who are smart and capable. >> We had a conversation yesterday with Jamie Thomas, talking about, from a super computer stand point, now IBM's reclaimed the top couple of positions there and from a research stand point, David Floyer from our team has been talking for years about how HPC architectures are really going to permeate what happens in the industry and I think about distributed architectures, it all seems to go back to what people in the HPC environment lived in. You've got background in that, you worked for one of the big labs, explain how this has come from something some government lab used to do to something that now many more companies around the globe are leveraging. >> Before IBM I worked at Sandia National Laboratories and the reason why I chose to work with these awesome skills worldwide in lab services is that I wanted to be part of the cool group, so to speak. So they were doing work in deployments with Oak Ridge National Laboratories and also Laurence Lilvermore. So you'll hear (inaudible) with Laurence Livermore speak on stage about some of the relevance associated with high performance computing and why were number 1. So, to get to our question it's cool to be back online with what I could say, high performance computing deployment. We are the mechanics so to speak in this organization. Similar to what we do with formula 1, people who put on the tires, add the air and also enable the cars to move around. Well without them, guess what? Things don't move around. >> So you guys work on the high performance systems, you got quantum coming around the corner, you got AI front and center so you guys are like the hot shots. You come in, you build solutions with what's in the tool chest, if you will with IBM, is that right ? >> correct You're 100% correct. I will say it in my mind, we make things real. We deploy and implement strategic technologies worldwide for the benefit of our end users and we do that also with our partners. >> Give an example of an engagement you guys have had that's notable, that's worth sharing. >> Recently, this was a really exciting area a Smarter Cities with Kazakhstan. And so heres this independent city that works on basically AI for filming things whether its a security thing recognizing certain faces, deployments associated with weapons etc. And they were able to secure safety based on the film, films that they've taken, those assets. Now the other aspect is managing safer traffic. So even the president of Kazakhstan felt it was extremely relevant that we helped him deploy and he comes back to one of our European leaders saying, hey we need more of this and we want it to be extensive, we want to scale this opportunity. >> Talk about the philosophy's you guys are deploying because it sounds like its a... you said sandbox, when I think sandbox I think you do prototypes, I'm thinking about cool stuff, building solutions and that kind of brings this whole entrepreneurial creation mindset. Do you guys have like a design thinking methodology, is there things you're bringing to the table what else is involved besides the sandbox? >> You are correct. We have a very key component of design thinking. There's a CTO that reports to me directly who leads our overall design thinking and so that's a key component of what we do worldwide. Now as far as... We also enable incubation of technologies. So it's like what we intend to do with IBM Cube, What we intend to do with blockchain on system Z. So with these things we have garages worldwide to deploy or incubate the technology. >> What's the coolest thing you've worked on so far? Or the team's worked on? >> That's really hard to say 'cause there's so much. >> It's like picking a favorite child. >> Yeah, it's like I have way too many. So I was - >> You mention blockchain. I like blockchain. Blockchain, are you in healthcare, is it more, is there certain industries that are popping out for you guys? >> So healthcare is an example but I have seen it in the telecom area as well as other industries in general. So we have 11 industries in which we serve. >> How about AI? We're always trying to understand where customers are, how they're really moving things forward, to understand that that HPC architecture is a foundational layer for many customers to help deploy AI. Where are customers starting to make progress ? Give us some of the vibe you're feeling from customers out there. >> So its exciting with AI right now because we have Power Vision that allows us as any of us to actually exploit, utilize and play with, so to speak. So from my perspective that is what's nice, is that you can enable opportunities with the consumer market and learn. Similar to what we do with, and for instance, I am jumping around here, IMB Cube. Where users can actually become a user and start evaluating algorithms in order to enable this really amazing technology as in IB Cube. >> That was always the promise of big date, is that we should be able to leverage our data and get the average business user to do it. So it sounds like AI will continue that trend. >> Correct. So in prior rule, I talked to all of you about big data storage, right and replication. So now what's amazing about the conversations is that they've transcended. Its like, here you're looking to manage these large data warehouses, when, what do you do with the data? How's it monetized, how is it used in order to solution what's possible. >> What is the goal of the organization, next 6 months, year, what's the charter, what's your key performance indicators, how do you guys measure success, client engagements, onboarding people, what is the business objectives? >> So we look at the number of engagements, we also look at educational services worldwide for instance I will be in Cairo, Egypt next week to work on specific things that are going on in Mia in order to enable this next growth market so to speak. What in addition we do to measure ourselves, utilization, classic services organization view of the world. So we also evaluate what we can do with revenue, profit and our understanding of growth and we really believe the focus is these growth technologies. >> Is there a criteria if I wanted to get involved, just say I am a customer, prospect, wow, I really want to get into this design thinking, got these labs, coolest labs services, I want to play with the cutting edge technologies, how do I get involved? Is there a criteria open to all or how does it work? >> In addition to IBM Systems Labs Services, I have technical universities and we actually run technical universities worldwide for end users, clients as well as what we do with partners and IBMers. And this is important because we're able to then discuss, talk, collaborate with SME's across multiple areas of technology. So its a very good question and very important that I mention the technical universities. >> Are there certifications along that line? What are some of the hot skill sets that people are looking to learn about ? >> It circles right back to your last question, AI. With regards to how we certify folks as well as we, in essence, they get enough training in boot camps in order to get badges. >> So their certification, they just pass the touring test and then they're okay. >> correct. Well. (laughs) I don't know about the touring test so to speak. >> So is there a website on IBM.com, is there like a URL as in like labservices.ibm.com? >> I personally like the look at twitter where you can do a search on IBM Lab Services or Tech U. >> Tech U. And screening, how big is that focus, used a lot of video, is it collaborative tooling is it face to face, virtual, how do you guys do the training, all the above? >> Unfair, I was going to say all of the above. (laughs) It depends. (laughs) Giving that classic response, our favorite is video blogs. What we can do in social media with the YouTube channels etc. to get our opinions or our voice out with regards to key technologies. >> Well great, make sure you let us know what those channels are and we'll promote them, get that metadata out there, of course The Cube loves to collaborate. And thanks for coming on and sharing. >> I appreciate it and I will definitely take a sticker and put it on my laptop. >> Calline Sanchez, Vice President of the new IBM Systems Lab Services. A lot of opportunities to get in the worldwide sandbox and put the sluices together from blockchain to cutting edge AI. Your live coverage here at San Francisco at IBM Think, I'm (inaudible) stay with us for more coverage after this short break. (lively music)