IBM Announces ‘Cheaper’ Blockchain Starter Plan for Smaller Scale Businesses

    IBM has released a beta version of a Blockchain Starter Plan designed to promote Blockchain use across businesses of any size. The plan is still in Beta version and it will feature a free 30-day trial for businesses willing to use it.

According to the 72-hour live stream from conference Think 2018 and an IBM blog post from March 16, IBM, the American multinational technology company announced the launch of the new IBM Blockchain Starter Plan (in Beta version as a way to utilize more Blockchain use in businesses of all scales.

The company’s Blockchain Starter Plan is a cheaper alternative to the current enterprise plan of Big Blue for companies seeking to develop blockchain applications, as CNBC reported earlier today, and is going to be free for the Beta version’s duration, but will then have a 30-day free trial after the plan becomes fully implemented.

The general manager of IBM Blockchain, Marie Wieck told CNBC that this new plan is, “perfect for early-stage development work and pilot projects for firms that want to construct solutions on the IBM blockchain platform, which has over 250 active blockchain networks at the moment”. She also said that that, “our expertise in scaling and building networks is invaluable and it will be shared across a wide ecosystem”.

IBM has been working with Blockchain tech since 2015 aiming to bring it mainstream, according to their live stream.  In 2016, the firm began testing Blockchain tech on themselves, using it in their financial services business in order to optimize reconciliations from vendors to suppliers. In addition, in 2016 IBM entered a partnership with Walmart for a test Blockchain program on supply chains of food products and especially mangoes.

Earlier this week, IBM announced that the smallest computer of the world, (which it will be smaller than a salt’s grain), it will utilize Blockchain technology and it will eventually be embedded in everyday devices and objects. IBM also allegedly eliminated more than 20,000 American workers over the age of 40 in other very recent developments.