Perhaps predictably, Spittle plays a straight bat to suggestions that IBM's all-round mighty strength could make it a company from which it is nigh on impossible to detach.

"The IBM philosophy is built on open standards and incremental solutions," he says.

"You don't have to have a lock-in and you can enter the portfolio at any point. Companies today are very much clearer about capabilities vendors have. The buyer is much more mature."

Alright, but what about the argument, posited by IT Doesn't Matter author Nicholas G. Carr and others, that technology is becoming commoditized because standards-based hardware and software is interchangeable and available to all? Doesn't that situation leave IBM, with its huge spending on research and development, looking a bit of a relic?

Again, Spittle demurs. "Innovation is always welcomed and, in a world where people have real-time communications, differentiation is important," he says. "I try to find out what is the problem today and solve the customer's pain point."

Speaking of Carr and his suggestion that IT will become a utility-like resource, what does Spittle make of the trend towards software as a service? His answer is that sourcing is a matter of horses for courses.

"You have to choose the model that's right for your business," he says. "For many businesses, having someone to run the IT is very attractive. You don't worry about it and you can have a fixed-cost approach. For others, that's anathema and they believe that having IT in-house provides them with an edge. But for most companies it's the data that's the important thing. We see companies that have data trapped in old applications and they want to liberate that data. You have to decide which data gives you power and act accordingly. Business has a much more pragmatic view of things because they're in business to do X or Y. You're going to get the spectrum of concerns: how do businesses solve their problems today and how do they get more competitive."

But when a company like IBM or Oracle is buying up fellow software firms left, right and center, where does that leave the IT buyer seeking consistency and peace of mind in making software investments?

Spittle points to IBM's record in software development and its experience in providing middleware that can accommodate a number of architectural approaches.

"We're providing a path so nobody gets 'dead-ended'," he says. "The IBM path is ultimately coherent so you feel comfortable and you have access to that consistency."

Looking ahead, Spittle sees a few new opportunities in software.

"Virtual worlds are interesting because they might just be the next metaphor for dealing with masses of data -- they could be the next user interface," he suggests. "You could be a student with your notes and video, interacting with other students without the constraints of travel and having to be there."