New 21st century telecommunications infrastructure to drive economic growth and innovation on world's poorest continent

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          Today in Nairobi at 9:00 a.m. EAT /2:00 a.m. EDT, IBM Chairman
          and CEO Samuel J. Palmisano and Bharti Airtel Chairman and
          Managing Director, Sunil Mittal, participated in a joint press
          conference to announce an agreement in principle that will
          accelerate the transformation of mobile communications and speed
   WHAT:  economic development across the African Continent.
          (See press release @ http://www.ibm.com/press/us/en/
          pressrelease/32505.wss)

Under the terms of the sweeping 10-year collaboration, IBM will manage the computing technology and services that power

          Bharti Airtel's 16-country mobile communications network.

          On a continent where mobile communications forms the backbone for
          commerce, and the World Bank estimates that 77 percent of
          Africans do not have access to traditional financial services,
          lowering the barrier to entry for owning mobile devices can drive
          significant economic gain. In fact, every 10 percent jump in
          mobile penetration is estimated to drive a 1.2 percent gain in
    WHY:  gross domestic product (GDP).*

         This far-reaching agreement has the potential to:
         -- Transform telecommunications in Africa
          -- Build a capability to provide world-class services and
          offerings to companies who operate across Africa
         -- Radically jumpstart IBM's growth efforts in Africa

    WHO: Bruno Di Leo, General Manager, Growth Markets, IBM
          Dr. Jai Menon, Chief Technology & Information Officer, Bharti
          Airtel International

   WHEN: SEPTEMBER  17, 2010 (11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET)
         ------------------------------------------------
         (USA) (866) 254-5936
         (International) (651) 291-3820
         Access Code: 171739

         ##TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW AFTER 11:30 a..m. ET##


  Vineeta Durani, 917-472-3694, vineeta.durani@us.ibm.com
  or
  Tal Zavlodaver, 202-747-4460, tal.zavlodaver@ketchum.com


  *Source: Deloitte report commissioned by GSMA.


  /PRNewswire -- Sept. 17/

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SOURCE: IBM