IBM says that 20% of its annual growth comes from emerging countries

“IBM decided to make a global investment of €1.6 billion in emerging countries. Romania is one of these 51 emerging countries, and each country in this category has an annual growth rhythm of over 20 percent. Practically speaking, all of these countries are making up about one quarter of IBM’s business globally,” according to a declaration for Business Standard by the General Manager of IBM Romania, Mihai Tudor. The IBM representative did not divulge the exact amount due to be invested in Romania or the time by which the investment is to be made. According to Tudor, the year 2007 was an important one for IBM in Romania, due to accelerated growth registered in Romania’s business segment.

“We are hoping that the public sector will increase its rhythm of investments in IT in 2008, in order to recover a portion of what it lost in 2007,” added Tudor.

IBM Romania’s General Manager did not wish to offer information about the value of IBM’s business in Romania, or growth registered in 2007. Turnover in 2006 was €38.6 million, and a net profit worth €2.7 mln, according to figures published on the Ministry of Economy and Finance site, although IBM’s Marketing and Communication Manager Sofia Zainea has said that the figures do not reflect all of IBM’s business in Romania.

“The banking sector is the most important area of IBM’s business, with the public sector fluctuating and subject to change from year to year. We believe that the implementation of structural programs by the European Community will lead the public sector to a level comparable with that of the banking sector,” said Tudor. Its principal clients in Romania are Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), Raiffeisen, Banca Romana de Dezvoltare (BRD), the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.