IBM Services and real estate company CBRE have extended their relationship to include technology support services for CBRE’s clients at select data center facilities, said the companies.

A new CBRE offering called Smart Maintenance is the latest addition to their existing suite of Converged Data Center Services. It leverages AI, augmented reality technologies and deep analytics, according to the companies.

As part of the new agreement, IBM will work with CBRE technicians as an on-site extension of  Remote Technical Support.

CBRE technicians intend to diagnose and maintain IT hardware from different manufacturers, using IBM’s augmented reality and Watson-enabled AI technologies. They will be supported by IBM’s 57 call centers worldwide, along with its IT support specialists and 585 parts centers carrying 1.3 million parts, say the companies.

It is anticipated that when a service call is placed, IBM AI technology will ask a series of questions to identify the problem and help find the quickest solution. If physical repair is required, CBRE site technicians are expected to perform this repair under guidance from IBM. Additionally, IBM analytics is expected to provide lifecycle review for data center equipment and provide a predictive maintenance service plan, according to the companies.

IBM’s IT support management is expected to incorporate automation into the support process, including predictive maintenance, cognitive capabilities, proactive monitoring, and asset and life-cycle management. Prior to this, CBRE’s data center clients would have used Original Equipment Manufacturers and other third-party vendors to help manage their equipment.

IBM’s asset management and support portal, which provides a real-time view of assets and support actions, is expected to automate CBRE’s IT support processes as well.

[Image courest: CBRE]