IBM Opens First Development Laboratory in Russia
On Tuesday, IBM opened its first Russian Systems and Technology Laboratory in Moscow, which will focus on mainframe technology development.
Jun 23, 2006
IBM has earmarked $40m (ˆ31.7m) for this facility and plans to increase staff from the current 40 people to 200 by the end of 2008. Projects include work on the operating system for the System z mainframe, the Data Facility Storage Management Systems, and development and testing for the next generation of BladeCenter systems.
As part of IBM's strategy to tap into the global pool of talent - preferably in high-growth regions - this is the fourth major development facility IBM has opened in recent months. Its establishment follows the set-up of a Linux Technology Centre in Sao Paulo (Brazil), a Solutions and Technology Centre in Bangalore (India), and a mainframe development laboratory in Shanghai (China). IBM's recently announced investment plans for India - with $6bn (ˆ4.8bn) earmarked by 2008 - also hit the headlines. Compared to this, the investment in the Russian facility seems modest.
However, there are good reasons to turn to Russia, where IBM has been present since 1974. Economic prospects are good, with expected growth rates of around 6% between now and 2008, fuelled by high prices for oil, gas and raw materials. Inspired by Bangalore's success, Russia's president Vladimir Putin developed a taste for government-backed technology parks and other forms of state support for IT development, promoted by the newly created Ministry for IT and Communications. During 2006/07 we will see the set-up of special economic zones that will initially host five production sites and five high-tech parks, which will, among others, take advantage of significant tax relief.
Another reason for turning to Russia is its technological know-how. After all, it was Russia that put man into space and launched the first satellite!
According to RUSSOFT, Russia's association of software development companies, as of November last year, Russia ranked number three in the number of scientists and engineers per capita worldwide. Russian universities churn out a fair number of engineering and science graduates - in 2004 alone there were 46,000 engineering graduates and 22,000 maths and physics graduates.
IBM's new facility will profit from Russia's advanced mainframe skills and technical expertise, built up over decades through the development of the ES-EVM - a clone of the IBM System/360 mainframe. This should be felt particularly in the development of IBM System z technology. In addition, the new lab will also help promote IBM's presence in the Russian market where it has a number of mainframe customers, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Russian Railways, and the oil & gas company Surgutneftegaz.
As part of IBM's strategy to tap into the global pool of talent - preferably in high-growth regions - this is the fourth major development facility IBM has opened in recent months. Its establishment follows the set-up of a Linux Technology Centre in Sao Paulo (Brazil), a Solutions and Technology Centre in Bangalore (India), and a mainframe development laboratory in Shanghai (China). IBM's recently announced investment plans for India - with $6bn (ˆ4.8bn) earmarked by 2008 - also hit the headlines. Compared to this, the investment in the Russian facility seems modest.
However, there are good reasons to turn to Russia, where IBM has been present since 1974. Economic prospects are good, with expected growth rates of around 6% between now and 2008, fuelled by high prices for oil, gas and raw materials. Inspired by Bangalore's success, Russia's president Vladimir Putin developed a taste for government-backed technology parks and other forms of state support for IT development, promoted by the newly created Ministry for IT and Communications. During 2006/07 we will see the set-up of special economic zones that will initially host five production sites and five high-tech parks, which will, among others, take advantage of significant tax relief.
Another reason for turning to Russia is its technological know-how. After all, it was Russia that put man into space and launched the first satellite!
According to RUSSOFT, Russia's association of software development companies, as of November last year, Russia ranked number three in the number of scientists and engineers per capita worldwide. Russian universities churn out a fair number of engineering and science graduates - in 2004 alone there were 46,000 engineering graduates and 22,000 maths and physics graduates.
IBM's new facility will profit from Russia's advanced mainframe skills and technical expertise, built up over decades through the development of the ES-EVM - a clone of the IBM System/360 mainframe. This should be felt particularly in the development of IBM System z technology. In addition, the new lab will also help promote IBM's presence in the Russian market where it has a number of mainframe customers, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Russian Railways, and the oil & gas company Surgutneftegaz.