IBM invests RM1 billion in New Global Delivery Center in Cyberjaya

New facility will create up to 3000 highly skilled professional jobs within six years

KUALA LUMPUR, 10 November 2011: IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that the company will invest RM1 billion over the next six years to build a new information technology (IT) Global Delivery Center in Cyberjaya, Malaysia creating up to 3000 new highly skilled jobs.

The Cyberjaya center will provide competency based services, as well as multilingual capabilities, and be a Center of Excellence (CoE) for software distribution and packaging. To help develop the necessary local skills, IBM is basing an international leadership team in Cyberjaya to ensure ongoing sharing and development of knowledge and expertise.
Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Sri Najib Abdul Razak with Patt Cronin, general manager, Global Technology Delivery and Delivery Excellence, IBM Corporation on stage during the Economic Transformation Programme update and announcing IBM's investment in the Global Delivery Center in Malaysia.

“This center is an outstanding example of a project that brings together economic development and highly skilled jobs in a way that can help transform our economy in the 21st century,” said Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak. “IBM has been a supportive partner to Malaysia’s efforts to build a competitive and modern shared services hub. While shared services centers are a valuable source of employment and income, they are also a source of less tangible but equally important benefits which includes the transfer of important skills and competencies to local knowledge workers as well as exposure to international best practices and standards.”

Ramanathan Sathiamutty, managing director, IBM Malaysia said, “This marks a new chapter in our partnership which began 50 years ago. With the addition of this center, IBM has established 21 shared service centers in Malaysia. Today's announcement will boost Malaysia’s reputation as a services hub while taking our cooperation to a new level."

Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of Multimedia Development Corporation said, “We are happy to welcome the new IBM Global Delivery Center in Cyberjaya. This new investment by IBM puts Malaysia on the global map and brings thousands of higher-value and skilled jobs in the server systems operations, security services project management and end-user services.

He continued, “through the initiatives of MSC Malaysia Cybercities and Cybercentres, companies are provided with the best and strategic physical location and knowledge resources to optimise operational cost and maximise profits. IBM is the type of high-growth global company that we want to attract, invest and grow in Malaysia with our globally competitive workforce, world-class business environment and excellent technology infrastructure.”
Patt Cronin, general manager, Global Technology Delivery and Delivery Excellence, IBM Corporation (left) with Ramanathan Sathiamutty, Managing Director, IBM Malaysia, during the media briefing on IBM's Global Delivery Center in Malaysia.

The center will offer clients from various industries across the globe server systems operations, security services project management and end-user services, including maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware and software systems.

“This center is critical to IBM's ability to provide clients support at any level — regional and global – offering flexibility, scalability and security our clients expect,” said Patt Cronin, general manager, Global Technology Delivery and Delivery Excellence, IBM Corporation. “We selected Malaysia for our newest facility based on the strong public-private partnership with the country and Cyberjaya, its competitive business model, and the talent and skills that the Malaysian people have to offer.”

IBM is one of the first technology companies to make a shared services investment in Cyberjaya. Since 2003, the company’s strong collaboration with MDeC has helped set world-class standards for the global delivery business model.

MDeC will work closely with IBM to identify and place qualified candidates under MSC Malaysia K-Workers Development Initiatives (KDI) in the new Global Delivery Center. IBM will also work with local recruiting firms and university alumni offices on the recruitment process which will commence in January 2012.