IBM today announced it will open a new technology service delivery center in Columbia, Missouri, creating up to 800 technical professional jobs. The new center will join two other North American service delivery facilities opened recently in Dubuque, IA and Lansing, MI, making it the third new facility IBM has opened in the United States in the last 18 months. The new center is part of an extensive network of IBM service delivery centers in more than 20 countries, with multiple sites in many of those countries, that provide information technology (IT) services and business process outsourcing capabilities to IBM clients around the world.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

IBM will begin hiring employees for the new center during the summer of 2010. The facility will be operational in the fall of 2010, and by the end of 2012 should be fully staffed with a variety of IT positions ranging from entry level up to experienced professional. Working with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Partnership and the Regional Economic Development, Inc., IBM has signed a 10-year lease, with optional extension years, to occupy and renovate a building on LeMone Industrial Boulevard.

"As Governor, my top priority is creating jobs and moving Missouri's economy forward," Gov. Nixon said. "IBM's decision to locate its new facility, and create 800 professional IT jobs, here in Missouri is a strong sign that we're heading in the right direction. For generations, IBM has been a trailblazer in the development and implementation of technology and software solutions, and it is exactly the type of company we want to attract and grow here in the Show-Me State. Today is a great day for IBM and the State of Missouri, and I look forward to strengthening our partnership in the years to come."

"I take great pride that our wonderful city will house a service delivery center for one of the world's greatest and most respected companies," said Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid. "IBM's local investment will bring 800 high-quality, knowledge-based jobs to our community. The enormous economic benefit to Mid-Missouri will increase the quality of life for all Columbians for decades."

"This newest addition to our delivery center portfolio in North America is critical to IBM's ability to offer support at any level -- local, regional and global - to provide the flexibility, scalability and security in solutions our clients expect," said Tim Shaughnessy, senior vice president, Service Delivery, IBM Global Technology Services. "We selected Columbia for our newest facility based on several criteria, including the strong public-private partnership with the state and city, a competitive business model and the talent and skills that Missouri and the Midwest have to offer."

The existing building located at 2810 LeMone Industrial Blvd., in Columbia, will be updated with the goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance "green" buildings. The city of Columbia and IBM will also work together to incorporate the new facility into Columbia's Sustainable City program, which includes building bike paths to connect the facility with downtown Columbia and planting new trees and bushes along and around LeMone Industrial Boulevard.

The new service delivery center will primarily support IBM's U.S. strategic outsourcing clients, providing server systems operations, security services and end-user services, including maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware and software systems. The services utilize collaborative problem solving and defect prevention processes based on service management standards. Employees will manage the servers and storage systems that are critical for assuring optimal IT infrastructure performance for IBM's clients.

IBM will work with many of the institutions of higher learning in the Columbia region for recruitment and training of potential employees as well as hiring experienced professionals. In addition, IBM will look for opportunities to partner with these schools to enhance their curricula to better prepare students for opportunities in the IT industry, including the types of roles found at IBM.

  About IBM
  For more information, visit www.ibm.com/services.

To learn more about the new opportunities with IBM in Columbia visit any of the following:

  www.ibm.com/careers/us
  www.ibm.com/employment/us/jobs/columbia_mo.html
  www.MissouriCareerSource.com
  www.mo.gov

For photos and video footage of the announcement ceremony in Columbia visit: http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ProjectTiger/index.php.

  Media Contact:
  Bruce McConnel
  IBM Media Relations
  (804) 402-2229
  wmcconn@us.ibm.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: wmcconn@us.ibm.com

Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: IBM