IBM further establishes itself in Morocco with a new innovation center in Casablanca.
17 February 2014
Read by 2306 persons
IBM's CEO recently inaugurated a new "innovation center" at the Casanearshore Park in Casablanca.
Its purpose will be to advise IBM's clients and partners on "cloud", "big data", and "business analytics" themes.
IBM is expanding in Morocco. On February 6th, "Big Blue" opened a new "innovation center" (as they call it) at the Casanearshore Park in Casablanca. The inauguration was performed by Ginni Rometty, the CEO of the American group, during her visit to Africa.
This new center will focus specifically on developing Cloud, Big Data, and Business Analytics (decision support) solutions. Concretely, it will consist of providing some IBM experts to clients, partners, entrepreneurs, startups, independent software vendors (ISVs), or other ICT professionals. It may even include the academic world.
The new Casanearshore center (the first was located in the Sidi Maârouf business district) will include training workshops, online resources, and support services to assist clients in their development strategies in Morocco or for export... and of course guide them towards IBM solutions.
Mohamed Horani, CEO of the Moroccan payment solutions publisher HPS, was involved in communicating about his company's use of the current Casablanca Innovation Center: "As an IBM partner, HPS regularly uses IBM Morocco's innovation center. It's the ideal place to invite our clients and demonstrate the portability of our electronic payment solutions on IBM platforms," he says.
IBM, established in Morocco since 1932 to support statistical services under the French administration, had a very modest presence for a long time, in subsidiaries it only partially controlled before taking over its operations in 1998. But it's especially since the middle of the last decade that the American group has accelerated in the kingdom.
The opening of the first "Innovation and Technical Exploration Center" on the African continent took place in Casablanca in 2008. In September 2012, IBM inaugurated an office in Rabat. Until last year, it had about 200 employees in Morocco.
"SIZE ADVANTAGE"
In July 2013, the American group took a significant step by announcing the creation of a major "Global delivery center" in Casablanca. Nearly 400 jobs over 3 years should be created at Casanearshore to provide a range of technological services to IBM clients in Morocco and French-speaking Africa. In total, in 2017, IBM should then employ 600 employees in Morocco.
"Morocco's positioning as a technological hub and gateway to Africa provides the IBM group with a significant advantage in realizing its ambitions on the continent and strengthening its presence there," said the Minister of Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, in a statement to the Moroccan press following his meeting with the president of the American company, Ginni Rometty.
Furthermore, during her visit to Morocco, IBM signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration with the Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT). The agreement includes the creation of an "IBM Academy" within the OFPPT.
As for the new Casablanca innovation center located in the Casanearshore park, it is "an important element in IBM's expansion strategy in Morocco and Africa," noted Hassan Bahej, head of IBM Morocco since the end of 2013, in a press release.
This center is part of a global network aimed at promoting the group's "in-house" solutions. IBM has already opened about forty of these innovation centers in 33 countries. Three of them have been created in Africa in Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Lagos (Nigeria), a center opened simultaneously with the Casanearshore center.
Nasser Djama.
Usinenouvelle.com
Published February 13, 2014.
Posted online February 17, 2014.
Its purpose will be to advise IBM's clients and partners on "cloud", "big data", and "business analytics" themes.
IBM is expanding in Morocco. On February 6th, "Big Blue" opened a new "innovation center" (as they call it) at the Casanearshore Park in Casablanca. The inauguration was performed by Ginni Rometty, the CEO of the American group, during her visit to Africa.
This new center will focus specifically on developing Cloud, Big Data, and Business Analytics (decision support) solutions. Concretely, it will consist of providing some IBM experts to clients, partners, entrepreneurs, startups, independent software vendors (ISVs), or other ICT professionals. It may even include the academic world.
The new Casanearshore center (the first was located in the Sidi Maârouf business district) will include training workshops, online resources, and support services to assist clients in their development strategies in Morocco or for export... and of course guide them towards IBM solutions.
Mohamed Horani, CEO of the Moroccan payment solutions publisher HPS, was involved in communicating about his company's use of the current Casablanca Innovation Center: "As an IBM partner, HPS regularly uses IBM Morocco's innovation center. It's the ideal place to invite our clients and demonstrate the portability of our electronic payment solutions on IBM platforms," he says.
IBM, established in Morocco since 1932 to support statistical services under the French administration, had a very modest presence for a long time, in subsidiaries it only partially controlled before taking over its operations in 1998. But it's especially since the middle of the last decade that the American group has accelerated in the kingdom.
The opening of the first "Innovation and Technical Exploration Center" on the African continent took place in Casablanca in 2008. In September 2012, IBM inaugurated an office in Rabat. Until last year, it had about 200 employees in Morocco.
"SIZE ADVANTAGE"
In July 2013, the American group took a significant step by announcing the creation of a major "Global delivery center" in Casablanca. Nearly 400 jobs over 3 years should be created at Casanearshore to provide a range of technological services to IBM clients in Morocco and French-speaking Africa. In total, in 2017, IBM should then employ 600 employees in Morocco.
"Morocco's positioning as a technological hub and gateway to Africa provides the IBM group with a significant advantage in realizing its ambitions on the continent and strengthening its presence there," said the Minister of Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, in a statement to the Moroccan press following his meeting with the president of the American company, Ginni Rometty.
Furthermore, during her visit to Morocco, IBM signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration with the Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT). The agreement includes the creation of an "IBM Academy" within the OFPPT.
As for the new Casablanca innovation center located in the Casanearshore park, it is "an important element in IBM's expansion strategy in Morocco and Africa," noted Hassan Bahej, head of IBM Morocco since the end of 2013, in a press release.
This center is part of a global network aimed at promoting the group's "in-house" solutions. IBM has already opened about forty of these innovation centers in 33 countries. Three of them have been created in Africa in Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Lagos (Nigeria), a center opened simultaneously with the Casanearshore center.
Nasser Djama.
Usinenouvelle.com
Published February 13, 2014.
Posted online February 17, 2014.
