ISTANBUL, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced the opening of two new branch offices in Turkey as it continues to increase its presence in the fastest growing markets in the world.

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The two new locations in the cities of Adana and Bursa are IBM's latest additions to a growing network of offices in Turkey including those in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara.

"We are seeing increased demand for our solutions and services across Turkey as companies expand their operations and turn to technology to enhance their productivity and improve their competitiveness" said Michel Charouk, Country General Manager, IBM Turkey. "While Istanbul continues to strengthen its position as an important business hub, regional cities across Turkey are increasingly contributing to the country's economic performance leveraging advanced technologies to compete on the global stage."

Through its geographic expansion initiative, IBM is targeting the opportunity in white space territories in emerging markets - high-growth cities and regions where there is significant opportunity for growth and where businesses and government organizations are turning to IT to transform their operations and increase competitiveness.

The two new offices in Turkey supplement the growing network of locations that IBM has across Central and Eastern Europe. Today, IBM also announced the opening of new offices in the cities of Poznan and Krakow in Poland.

Turkey has experienced strong economic growth in recent years due to a dynamic business landscape and strategic trading links with Europe and the Middle East region.

"We see Turkey as a top-ten global growth market for the next decade," said Aidan Manktelow, Europe Director, Economist Corporate Network. "Although the country is still vulnerable to economic volatility, its supportive demographics, resilient banking sector and low indebtedness mean that any interruption to its growth would likely be only brief. We expect total IT spend to rise strongly from just under US$9bn in 2012 to over US$12.5bn by 2016."

Accelerating Growth in Adana

Located in the south of Turkey, Adana has emerged as one of the country's key cultural and commercial cities in the important economic region of Cukurova - often regarded as one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the world. In addition to agriculture, the region has experienced dynamic economic growth in the manufacturing, natural resources and commercial sectors.

"IBM's initiative to open more offices to deliver solutions to areas outside traditional urban centers like Istanbul is reflective of the industrial growth in those areas and the increasing importance of IT to businesses wishing to compete on the global stage," said Sadi Surenkok, Head of Adana Chamber of Industry.

Boosting Business in Bursa

As one of Turkey's key industrial and production centers, Bursa, located in the northwest of the country, is one of the most industrialized cities in the country and acts as the center of Turkey's automotive industry.

IBM is already working with a number of clients in Bursa such as industrial group Aktas Holding. Through a 5-year agreement, IBM is helping to transform Aktas's operations across security, systems performance, business continuity, virtualization, disaster management, control and accountability.

"IBM's value proposition is clear - more effective products at an affordable price," said Ebru Bulut, IT Manager, Aktas Holding. "Working with IBM we are able increase the speed and efficiency of our operations while at the same time ensuring the security of our data."

Operating in Turkey for 74 years, IBM has its headquarters in Istanbul and a recently enlarged Ankara office in addition to its branches in Adana, Bursa and Izmir. Also in Izmir, IBM has a Business Continuity and Resiliency Services Center providing services for leading Turkish companies.

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Contacts

Mine Oyal Hosca
IBM Turkey
mineo@tr.ibm.com
+90 212 317 12 86

Jonathan Batty
IBM Growth Markets Unit
Jonathan.batty@pl.ibm.com
+48 693935403

SOURCE IBM