IBM India, as part of its strategy to expand to Tier II cities in the country, on Wednesday announced the launch of its SME operations in Bhubaneswar.
According to a company spokesperson, the expansion will enable IBM to provide better support to SME clients in and around Bhubaneswar and help IBM’s customers leverage IT for business growth. In addition, mid-market businesses will also benefit from the new IBM Express Advantage initiative that provides SMEs with a unified end-to-end approach to help them innovate and expand, said Vivek Malhotra, vice-president, global mid-market business, IBM India/South Asia.
IBM is one of the first companies to focus on the SME market, starting in the early 1990s. In India, IBM saw the potential for growth in SME mid-market businesses and recognised the need for innovative offerings to give SMEs a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market. Nearly 60% of IBM India’s revenue comes from SMBs, with 15-20% of IBM India’s workforce dedicated to the SMB market.
Earlier this year, IBM had announced a plan to extend its presence to 14 cities outside the key metros, and has successfully launched operations in Bhopal, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Cochin, Goa, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Nashik, Surat, and Vizag. It will look at expanding into Ludhiana & Madurai as well.
“It is our goal to provide SMEs with affordable offerings and the support network of IBM Business Partners,” said the vice-president.
IBM’s SME offerings have already been accepted in various industries in Bhubaneswar including the government, steel & mines, and education sectors. Some existing customers in Bhubaneswar include government of Orissa’s IT department—OCAC, Orissa’s treasury department, Paradeep Phosphates Ltd, Vedanta Alumina Ltd, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, and Utkal University, to name just a few.