IBM opens new headquarters of Global Services Delivery Center
April 3, 2014 Katowice the City A4 Business Park 0
On Thursday, IBM opened headquarters of the Global Services Delivery Center in Katowice (GSDC) where hired specialists provide innovative IT solutions for global companies.
L to R: Ales Bartunek - country general manager for IBM Poland and Baltics; Jerzy Buzek, member and former Pesident of the European Parliament; Jolanta Jaworska - chief of public programs at IBM Eastern and Central Europe; Arkadiusz Chęciński - member of the board of the Silesian Voivodeship; Piotr Uszok - Katowice mayor; Stef Stangret - director of the IBM Delivery Center in Poland
IBM announced to open the center in Katowice in June last year. The IT giant is going to create approximately 2 000 workplaces by the year 2015 when the site get its full operation. As of now, about several hundred people were already employed in the center. GDSC was opened with the attendance of local and company authorities as well as of representatives of the US Embassy in Poland.
"At first my appreciation goes to the authorities of local, regional and national levels. Without their support, project of this scale could not be possible. Also, I would like to thank universities and higher education institutions which have already demonstrated their enthusiasm for this undertaking" – said Stef Stangret, director of IBM's Services Delivery Center in Poland.
The center provides a full range of new generation innovative services including service systems operations, security and end-use services, delivery technology and engineering, maintenance and monitoring of hardware and software systems.
"The site in Katowice is becoming part of the very large global IBM community exchanging knowledge and thougths locally and globally, and injecting global knowledge back to the local community. This site will enables us to provide top technology and services to our clients mainly in the area of Europe but also in other parts of the world. The benefit to the region's economy and skills development will be significant. Additionally, IBM will continue to work with local education institutions. Katowice and the Silesia region offer a large talent base, strong education infrastructure and supportive business environment that we need for facilities such as this" – Stef Stangret added.
The center was opened at 42 Francuska St. in the first office building of A4 Business Park. The facility has been fully leased by IBM in September 2013 and the company moved in last month after the construction process had been concluded. The 9 000 sq. meters and 7-storey building houses a training center located at the first two storeys and the offices of IBM – from 3rd to 7th storey – where about 180 people work every day at each of the office floors.
GDSC in Katowice started to be operational since August last year at 34 Francuska St. in the building B of Francuska Office Center. Now the offices of IBM are based in both locations. "We cared a lot about the new investment of IBM and endeavored after the project to be based in Katowice. Activities of IBM, as the renowned and well-known IT giant, are watched with attention by other companies. We hope that new investors will follow IBM" – commented Piotr Uszok, mayor of Katowice.
IBM operates in Poland since 1991. The company is headquartered in Warsaw, with branches in Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków and Poznań, and provides a full offer of consulting services and products to build infrastructure for large enterprises, public administration and medium-sized companies.
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