IBM has reached out its sizeable hand to the little people in the biz world with the launch today of a new range of software products.

Like many other big names vendors the firm said it had spotted an opportunity to offer software tailored for the small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) global market.

The somewhat Orwellian-sounding IBM Rational Build Forge Express Edition has been specifically designed for SMBs to get jiggy with their process management.

The tech giant said the software should enable businesses to standardise and automate end-to-end software release processes as well as implement compliance.

Meanwhile, over in the blue corner, the IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP Entry Edition box of software has been punted to SMBs that want to monitor their network infrastructures.

IBM wasn't shy to admit that it hoped to "capitialise" on the SMB IT spending boom in China, Brazil, Russia and India.

The firm has decided to sell its Rational product direct on its website for $49,000 per server from 23 October.

No word on Tivoli's pricing or availability date, however. ®

Related stories

Big Blue, Intel chat up little guys online (2 May 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/02/intel_ibm_smb_online_marketplace/
IBM digs in with Eclipse for weapons (14 December 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/14/ibm_rational_embedded_eclipse/
Small biz needs to get safe online (18 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/18/small_biz_safe_online/
IBM preps Power6-based blade and Blue Business Platform (5 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/05/ibm_power6_blade_blue_business_platform/
IBM upgrades brain-bending file system (2 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/02/ibm_gpfs_3point2/
IBM helps Chicago keep an eye on its citizens (28 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/28/chicago_surveillance_undertaking/
IBM hopes open office is Symphony to your key-tapping fingers (19 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/19/ibm_office_symphony_open_source/
Open source prima donnas to crush IBM, BEA and MS in 2008 (14 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/14/open_season_two/