IBM celebrates INDIA " What makes us Special ? "

Historic employee town hall in Bangalore awakens the world to IBM’s global model

It was really a once in a lifetime opportunity, listening to the two heads, one heading largest democracy in the world, other heading the biggest IT conglomerate.

The theme was "What makes us special?"
Giving you an insiders story about the historic event on 6th June, 2006.

"Creativity has to be the vision of IBM. Creativity has to be the business for IBM." — Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India

IBM Chairman Sam Palmisano with Dr. A. P.J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India

The air shook with excitement as the town hall in Bangalore, India began. Live performances of traditional Indian dancers — projected upon massive screens to the sound of their regional music — charged the meeting hall with a celebratory atmosphere. As emcee and Indian movie star, Dia Mirza took the stage, the audience of ten thousand IBM India employees and distinguished guests burst into applause.

We are more than forty-thousand strong in India, and our investment in this strategic country will continue to grow from $2 billion over the last three years to nearly $6 billion in the next three years. Yet this event — simulcasted across four Indian cities -- celebrates more than our presence in India, it marks IBM's strength around the world.

Sam announced

"For all my colleagues listening to this broadcast today around the world, I want you to understand the incredible capability we've established in India," said Sam. "It's also true in China, and it's also true in Eastern Europe, and it's also true in Brazil. If you take those regions of the world in the past couple of years we've added about 75,000 people, with phenomenal skills and capabilities. And very simply I want all of IBM to understand it and take advantage of it."

Today's news

IBM made headlines all over the world today in gathering 10,000 IBMers in Bangalore. Here, Sam Palmisano announced that IBM will triple our investment in India to $6 billion over the next three years to:

• Establish the first in a new breed of Service Delivery Centers in Bangalore. IBM will deploy new processes and technology that will greatly automate IT service delivery, provide clients with enhanced flexibility and increase worldwide access to skills, service offerings and continuous availability at lower cost. The new technologies being deployed in India will be rolled out to IBM services centers worldwide in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.; Bratislava, Slovakia; Brno, Czech Republic; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Dublin, Ireland; Hortolandia, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; Shenzhen, People's Republic of China; and Szekesfehervar, Hungary.
• Create the IBM Systems & Technology Group (STG) Solutions/Innovation Center & Executive Briefing Center in Bangalore, which will focus on IBM infrastructure solutions, technologies and innovations and providing performance benchmarking, testing, data migration and competency building capabilities.
• Enhance a Telecommunications Research & Innovation Center at IBM's India Research Lab that will serve IBM's telecommunications clients around the world.
• Increase the capabilities and staff of the High Performance On Demand Solutions Lab in Bangalore, a specialized software and services lab driving automation and virtualization of complex IT infrastructures.
• Inaugurate the "The Great Mind Challenge", which is designed to improve the software development skills of Indian students as they work to solve issues facing businesses today.
  
  

Recognizing the innovators

The town hall began in earnest with the lighting of a ceremonial lamp — a tradition that aims to inspire the participants and awaken greater understanding.

Shanker Annaswamy, country general manager for India welcomed our chairman, Sam Palmisano and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, president of India who then presented Innovation Awards on behalf of IBM India to five key role models of innovation. The awards recognize a company, organization or government body that has been successful in introducing an innovation with a citation and cash award.

Along with the presentations by distinguished guests, the audience was treated to entertainment by Himesh Reshammiya and several inspirational videos

An Indian perspective on innovation

President Kalam, widely recognized as one of the leaders who has encouraged India's technological and economic progress, gave a presentation on the progress India has participated in and the creativity it will take to continue.

"Creativity has got multi dimensions like invention, discoveries and innovations," said President Kalam. "Creative minds have the ability to do magic or invent something new by combining, changing or reapplying existing ideas. Creative persons have an aptitude to accept change and ideas and possibilities. They have flexibility of outlook, they're happy enjoying the good while looking for a way to improve."