IBM, DIT to set modalities for open source system

NEW DELHI: IBM will work closely with the department of Information Technology (DIT) to set the modalities for open source system in India.

According to sources, IBM chairman and CEO, Samuel J. Palmisano told Union Minister of Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran that his company would work together with the DIT to set the modalities.

Palmisano, who was on an unpublicized four-day visit to India, held a videoconference with Maran, who was away in Chennai on Thursday.

The IBM chief later had a 30-minute discussion with prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh here. The details of the meeting were not immediately known. Palmisano left for the US this morning.

It is learnt that he had met with a few clients on Thursday apart from addressing IBM employees.

Palmisano who reached India on November 1, had earlier visited the recently launched Global Service Delivery Centre (GSDC) in Bangalore.

The GSDC provides both local and global clients with Command Center Services, Data Center Services and IT Help Desk Services, and through its modern infrastructure, enables clients to tap into virtually limitless computing power on demand, while paying for it on a per-usage basis.

IBM was looking for land for its software development campus in Bangalore. But, sources privy to the development told CyberMedia News that the company, which was in India since 1992, preferred taking the required land on lease to buying it.

However, Karnataka's secretary for Information Technology, MK Shankaralinge Gowda on Thursday said that the $128 billion, Armonk, US-based IBM had purchased land near the Ring Road close to the Hebbal flyover in Bangalore.

“They have purchased land for the facility from a private party,” Gowda had said earlier. Palmisano had met Gowda while he was in Bangalore.

Palmisano's India visit was in line with IBM's continued focus, on strategic emerging growth countries (such as India, China, Russia and Brazil), as a way to drive revenue growth and market share gain and as an important talent base for its growing service delivery business and R&D initiatives.

IBM has been transforming itself into a globally integrated company, that would integrate the means of production globally, pool assets and skills across national boundaries.

According to IBM, India is an important part of its globally integrated company model and also as a centre of excellence (CoE) in a number of areas including BPO, delivery services, research and software development.

IBM has 16 centers in India and has approximately 23,000 employees. In 2004, IBM India had posted a revenue growth of 45 per cent year on year.