MANILA, Philippines,
May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM
(NYSE: IBM) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of
the Republic of the Philippines
today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together
to establish the first Philippine Systems & Technology R&D
Laboratory to help spur economic growth.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )
The R&D Lab is aligned with Philippines' strategic growth initiative that
calls for greater partnering between industry and government to
advance four critical areas for the country: business process
outsourcing, governance for anti corruption, talent development,
and innovation for a knowledge-based economy. Touching on all four
pillars, the new R&D Lab will strive to contribute to the
productivity of the Filipino people and improve their quality of
life through the generation and promotion of strategic technologies
and expertise.
Having established numerous R&D laboratories and
co-laboratories in many countries, IBM, the leading global provider
of IT and business solutions, has the technical capability,
expertise and know-how to collaborate with the DOST in its research
efforts and programs.
"2012 marks IBM's 75th year in
the Philippines and this
cooperation with the DOST furthers our commitment to, and trust in
the region and its people," said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer,
President and Country General Manager, Philippines. "The project is also a great
example of an integrated, joint approach to research that combines
IBM's global expertise with the skills and knowledge of the
Filipino people to accelerate their preparedness for the global
marketplace."
Secretary Mario Montejo of the
DOST was appreciative of IBM's initiative in establishing the
R&D Lab. "By harnessing IBM's experience and international best
practices along with our local scientific talent, this R&D
center will go a long way in building domestic capacity to support
continued economic growth and global competitiveness," Secretary
Montejo said.
Cooperation with the private sector particularly in the
information and communications technology (ICT) industry plays a
significant role in the development of the industry. "This
cooperation with IBM ensures that Industry and Government
initiatives are cohesive and yield long term benefits for the most
number of people," said Executive Director Louis Casambre of the Information and
Communications Technology Office of the DOST. "We are looking
forward to more of these collaborations with other industry
partners."
In the signed agreement, the projects to be undertaken by the
Philippine Systems and Technology R&D Lab shall be in line with
the priority projects of the Government based on the National
Economic Development Authority's (NEDA) Medium Term Development
Plan. The DOST and IBM may consider the following areas as the
initial projects of the R&D Lab, subject to export and other
applicable laws:
- Project audit system and database;
- E-governance services including a dashboard view for government
officials;
- Landslide predictive analytics;
- Weather prediction and flood mapping;
- Crime prevention;
- Traffic management; and
- High-performance computing and business analytics.
About IBM
Since establishing its presence in the Philippines in 1937, IBM has evolved to
become the leading information technology partner in the country,
providing hardware, software, and IT-enabled business services to
domestic and global markets. IBM in the Philippines has grown exponentially in
terms of business portfolio, talent growth and geographic
reach.
For more information about IBM in the
Philippines, please visit http://www.ibm.com/ph
About DOST
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is the
premiere science and technology body in the country charged with
the twin mandate of providing central direction, leadership and
coordination of all scientific and technological activities, and of
formulating policies, programs and projects to support national
development. For more information about the DOST, please visit
http://www.dost.gov.ph
Media Contact(s)
Owen Cammayo
IBM Media Relations
IBM Philippines
(+63) 917-888-6936
cammayol@ph.ibm.com
Roy Expiritu
Communications
Information and Communications Technology Office – DOST
(+63) 919-606-7006
roy.espiritu@icto.dost.gov.ph
Mike Zimmerman
IBM Media Relations
(914) 766-4935
mrzimmerman@us.ibm.com
SOURCE IBM