Saturday, November 25, 2006 IBM expands infra in Cebu, eyes BPO venture
COMPUTER technology giant IBM inaugurated its new and bigger office in the midst of some of Cebu’s major business process outsourcing (BPO) firms last Thursday, signaling the company’s intention to expand not only in the province, but in the Visayas as well.
Newly appointed IBM country general manager James Velasquez said the company is “building bigger infrastructure” in Cebu, which include a part center hub and more personnel at its office at i2 Building in Asiatown IT Park, vendors and authorized service centers.
Velasquez said in a press conference following the inauguration that IBM is working on increasing marketing presence in Cebu and the Visayas, as well as customer support services.
IBM business services president Renato Jao also admitted that the company is in talks with Cebu government officials to explore the possibility of its opening a BPO arm.
“But it’s very preliminary,” Jao said, during a break in a meeting with the Cebu Investments and Promotions Center last Thursday.
If the plan for a BPO arm pushes through, he said the venture will initially handle “eight, mostly global, clients.”
Exciting
“The Cebu market is definitely very exciting. It has a lot of potential,” Velasquez said during the press conference.
He said this is one of the factors that made IBM decide to expand its services and facilities in Cebu.
He said IBM also wants to tap more market segments in Cebu by offering, not just products and after-sales service, but by developing information technology solutions according to the needs of individual sectors.
“Mid-market companies have distinct needs that are often ignored by most service providers. IBM’s technologies and solutions for small and mid-market businesses provide (these firms) a competitive edge in this era of globalization,” he said.
“Understanding these needs, we want to expand our reach to be closer to our customers enabling us to serve them better. Our office in Cebu is a step in that direction.”
IBM has also partnered with the administration of four academic institutions in Central Visayas — University of Cebu, Cebu Institute of Technology and University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu and Silliman University in Dumaguete City —to update the information technology curriculum of these schools.
Velasquez said the academic initiative program of IBM aims to strengthen the pool of information technology graduates in the region. (LAP)
