IBM should buy Twitter. Here’s why: First, the Internet of Things (IoT) needs a Facebook. Twitter is THE Facebook for Things. Facebook is clearly designed for humans. In order to use Facebook, one must register as a human using their “everyday” name in the form of FIRST NAME and LAST NAME. Things can have a PAGE on Facebook BUT a PAGE requires a PROFILE. This doesn’t make sense for trillions of things. Twitter is the REGISTRAR for Things.
Second, Twitter is THE ubiquitous messaging bus. A message bus is required with things. A message bus is what a message rides on to get from an origination to a destination. Twitter is PERFECT when a message has a complex trip that includes multiple destinations with an ever-changing itinerary due to external forces. Most of IBM’s advanced solutions solve exactly these types of business problems.
Thirdly, Twitter’s branding is more recognized than IBM. Twitter’s brand recognition alone makes IBM a more viable choice for the next generation of Chief Executives of the Global Fortune 500 (80% of IBM’s revenues). Twitter’s branding is everywhere IBM needs to be.
Fourth, The sales model is more aligned with the smartphone behavioral standard. Any and all individuals and organizations can download the app for free and use it quite productively to interact with THINGS that create significant value. IBM simply sells AD FREE and IN-APP PURCHASES to individuals and organizations when they decide they want to buy that IN-APP PURCHASE (or they want to go AD FREE). Complex business solutions can be purchased with the click of a button.
Fifth, IBM can use Watson to transform the NEWS industry. Millennials are quite comfortable paying $10 per month for Netflix and $10 per month for Spotify. Millennials will easily pay $10 per month for AD FREE news that is TRUSTWORTHY! Watson can fact check like no other. IBM can become the next NETFLIX with billions of dollars in predictable, profitable SUBSCRIPTION revenues by serving ad free trustworthy VERIFIED news to the masses in real time.
I think IBM and Twitter are PERFECT for each other.