The Resource Locator application is the first revenue generating product born of IBM's next generation innovation enabler: ThinkPlace. The creation of a multi-database record library along with smart sorting and scoring algorithms has lead to the first "google-type" search functionality within IBM for globally distributed employe information.

Resource Locator (also known in ThinkPlace as Bluepages GUI), began as an idea for a bluepages (IBM's internal directory web application) interface change to support a Sales professional's job requirements. Through cross functional collaboration it soon became clear that developing a new search interface to combine the globally disributed sales coverage related databases maintained by separate organizations would rapidly decrease the amount of time Sales professionals and indeed all IBM'ers spend trying to find the right person.

Using surplus hardware and other 'free' resources an architecture was developed to support simple text searches across multiple databases spanning hundreds of thousands of records. Using custom developed structured-text search algorithms and a smart scoring system, the Resource Locator application began to take shape. Providing a google-like interface with robust keyword matching and category limiters, the Resource Locator application (available in production form at [IBM internal link only]), gives highly relevant results, without the limitations imposed by other internal Enterprise Directory search tools. Combining the detailed analysis and record keeping of organizations storing their data in spreadsheets, databases and flat files, Resource Locator contains the first globally integrated data store for all Sales Coverage related information within IBM.

In addition to it's technial accomplishments, the "ThinkPlace Innovator Award"-winning application was a pioneer of a new way of delivering innovative, value driven results to the entire company. A team of Sales, Sales Center Design, Business Transformation and Productivity professionals shaped the Resource Locator on it's journey from prototype to production in less than 6 months. The dedicated team worked together and on it's own time to produce globally orientated, sales professional focused studies for the acquisition of data on the effectiveness of the Resource Locator application compared to existing methods.

With results in hand, feature requests processed, and user interface enhancements made, Resource Locator engaged with TAP (IBM's internal Technology Adoption Program) to provide high powered hardware to host Resource Locator in a production environment.

Continuing with the core success in innovation and value generation, version 2 of Resource Locator (code named BlueBerry), is designed to provide a robust and capable global search infrastructure. Utilizing surplus ThinkPads and a unique fault-tolerant architecture, the BlueBerry cluster further capitalizes on the lessons learned from Resource Locator.