Mandatory Disclosure Report

IBM signs MOU with ITM

IBM India (NYSE: IBM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology ( VIIT) , Pune and ITM Gurgaon, which will enable Pune and Gurgaon based premier educational institutes to conduct IBM India’s Accelerated Career Excellence (ACE) programme. Through the ACE programme IBM’s Delhi, Gurgaon and Pune based employees would have increased opportunities to be placed at different IBM locations in India and be deployed on different technologies and across business domains.

IBM India’s ACE programme is aimed to groom technical talent at workplace. This unique programme provides the non-engineering employees of IBM India with an opportunity to upgrade their skills and qualification by doing a 4-year MS programme in Software Engineering. To facilitate this higher education program, IBM signed a MoU with the University of Mysore in 2006 to develop a 4-year MS programme for its employees with BSc degree. The curriculum of this course has been designed and developed jointly by the University of Mysore and IBM.

As per the MoU, IBM would use VIIT and ITM’s expertise to run this programme for its Delhi, Gurgaon and Pune-based employees, IBM will bear the execution fees for this programme that includes venue, faculty, infrastructure, examinations, internal assessments, stationary, and library usage.

Speaking about the MoU, K Guru Prasad, General Manager, Learning and Knowledge, IBM India, said “IBM strives to ensure that its employees have access to the best learning and training opportunities to help provide career growth opportunities and job rotation possibilities within IBM. This programme will play a significant role in helping us tap a fresh talent pool while simultaneously helping IBMers enhance their qualifications in the engineering sector. This MoU with VIIT, Pune couldn’t have come at a better time as it enables IBMers to be a step ahead in the technology ready workforce.”

Speaking about the MOU, Shri. Bharat Agarwal, Management Trustee, VIIT, Pune said “VIIT, an institute imparting education in the field of engineering and technology, strives for achieving excellence through exchange of knowledge / experience between academic and professional organisations. It is practiced in VIIT through an industry-institute interaction cell, of which experts from industry are the members. This MOU, with IBM Pune, is a one step further where in expertise from VIIT, gets an opportunity to enhance qualifications of workforce at IBM. This venture will benefit both the parties and society at large.

Mr. Avdhesh Mishra, founder Member Governing body, ITM Gurgaon said “ITM was conceived in response to the acute deficiency of centers of higher learning in the country as also, the need to develop relevant human capital to meet the technology and management challenges of the 21st century with well defined mission - to build an institution committed to delivering education of internationally recognized standards, an institution that would go on to serve as an intellectual resource base in India and the sub-continent. Committed to making a profound and lasting contribution to society, ITM recognizes no more exalted role than that of "Educated Citizens" - citizens with a powerful sense of fairness, a profound belief in democratic ideals and a willingness to celebrate talents of many kinds

IBM has been one of most aggressive recruiters in the Indian marketplace. From 38,500 employees in December 2005, IBM augmented its workforce to 53,000 as of December 2006.

IBM has over 355,000 employees working across the globe and is an equal opportunity employer. IBM provides its employees with broad career growth opportunities with a wide spectrum of jobs, flexible working options, and continuous training and professional development. Being part of a globally integrated enterprise, professionals working at IBM in India get to work with some of the best minds across IBM and the industry globally. IBM Global Campus, that is the largest online university of its kind, offers more than 20,000 learning modules including 3,500 e-learning and classroom courses plus books and other resources.