26 June 2008

AN Africa Innovation Centre has been opened to drive information technology skills development and address business challenges in the economic growth of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The first of its kind on the continent, the new centre is part of IBM $120 million, two-year investment through to 2009 that includes new market expansion initiatives and houses Africa's first cloud computing centre.

The centre will showcase business approaches and open technologies such as cloud computing, Web 2.0 technologies, service-oriented architecture and systems management.

It will also demonstrate next generation banking systems offered at the Banking Centre of Excellence as part of the new innovation centre and environmentally-friendly computing designs.

In cloud computing, dynamically-shared computing resources are virtualised and accessed as a service, making it a particularly attractive proposition for small to large-sized companies in Africa.

Officially opening the centre on Tuesday 26 June, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that they are highly energised by IBM's investment because it directly responds to the government's call for increased private sector investment into sustainable initiatives that advance priority technical skills.

"For us in government as a whole, these interactions demonstrate the necessary partnership we should continue to have with the private sector because it is through such continuous engagement that we are able to arrive at lasting solutions," Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said.

She said that through technology we can empower the chronically poor, young Africans into a major human resource asset by using technology to produce globally competent and productive workers.

"We face a big challenge in the world of scarce skills and talent and also to reinvent the way we can learn and educate in line with the global crisis for skills.

"We can go forward successfully through such partnerships which integrate the best of models and approaches across sectors," she said.

The Deputy President further said that her vision of Africa is one of a continent abuzz with commerce within herself and flourishing in trade with the rest of the world.

"I see a continent that is in full control of its resources both natural and intellectual.

"I see the great continent Africa finally taking centre stage for all the progressive reasons especially using ICT to change the future for our youth and women," she said.

IBM Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Steve Mills said: "The Africa Innovation Centre is a landmark investment for IBM because it represents our commitment to be a partner in the continent's growth agenda."

Managing Director and Country General Manager of IBM Sub Saharan Africa, Mark Harris said that the Innovation Centre puts South Africa on the global radar of IBM's business strategy as they continue to be an active partner in the continent's economic transformation into a major global player.

"We see this investment as game-changing and creating enormous opportunities for skills development, industry promotion and economic growth," said Harris.

IBM is already working with almost 300 software companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The centre will offer access to IBM's global network of 39 IBM Innovation Centres and 60 research and development labs.

In addition to establishing a $15-million IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services facility last year in Cresta, northwest of Johannesburg, this year, IBM will donate $1.5 million Blue Gene supercomputer to the Meraka Institute.

It will be hosted by the Centre for High Performance Computing in Cape Town and will be used by a range of stakeholders on the continent for challenging social, economic and environmental issues as well as for skills development.

Source: BuaNews