IBM inaugurates its Client Innovation Centre in Montreal

MONTREAL, Oct. 16, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Developing and renewing local expertise and driving Quebec know-how through a competitive local business model is the mission of the brand new IBM Client Innovation Centre (CIC) (NYSE: IBM) which was officially inaugurated this morning in Montreal. This inspiring place, with its young and dynamic design, is already buzzing with activity! It has exceeded its initial targets and employs close to 120 employees, which will grow to 250 by the end of 2018. But lBM has big ambitions: to create more than 500 high-level jobs in the metropolis over the next four years.

Clearly, the anticipated inauguration of these facilities to which attended the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development of Canada, the Honourable Navdeep Singh Bains, the Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy, Mrs. Dominique Anglade, the Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Denis Coderre and the robot Nao, the face of the artificial intelligence, pave the way for an era of sustained collaboration, innovation and very fast-moving transformation!

Today we are entering a crucial stage with the official inauguration of this second Canadian global delivery centre located in Place Bonaventure in the heart of the metropolis. We are enthusiastic about supporting our Canadian customers in their digital transformation. Even more, to participate actively in Quebec's economic growth with the creation of specialized jobs that foster the implementation of major investments and the development of local expertise," said Claude Guay, General Manager, IBM Global Business Services, Canada.

The Montreal CIC addresses several of our Canadian client's challenges and realities. In particular increase in their productivity thanks to access to a pool of qualified bilingual resources at competitive prices

Passionate supporters of innovation and the concept of a "smart city," the governments of Canada, Quebec and the City of Montréal welcomed IBM's involvement in the development of expertise that is too often relocated elsewhere in the world.

"When global companies like IBM look for the best place to invest and grow their business, Canada is at the top of the list. Thanks to our Innovation and Skills Plan and programs like the Global Skills Strategy and the Innovation Superclusters, global companies know they can rely on a stable and predictable economic environment, a talented workforce and entrepreneurial people. Today's announcement is great news for Montreal, as this new investment will create and sustain resilient, high-quality, well-paying middle-class jobs", said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Government of Canada.

"Our government is making major efforts to build an attractive and open digital economy, internationally recognized for its know-how, innovations and ecosystem. The presence of many technological frontrunners like IBM in our metropolis confirms Quebec's leadership and great power of attraction for large-scale projects, particularly in the information and communications technology sector", said Dominique Anglade, Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy.

"The IBM Client Innovation Centre will enhance the digital service offer, while staying on the leading edge of new technology. Keeping this in mind, this fits into the tradition of excellence with regard to the services present in Montréal. We are proud of this type of project. The image of Montréal is changing, and for the better. We have succeeded in positioning ourselves as a leader in many sectors, such as artificial intelligence or aerospace, while retaining neighbourhoods on a human scale, where it is great to live and work", said Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Denis Coderre.

The Montreal CIC required major investments and services in leading-edge areas, such as enterprise cloud computing, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and Workday, Java and .Net development, testing services. It also develops specialized sector software, particularly in the fields of analytics, data management, enterprise content and order management, and even solutions.

The team, which combines youth and experience, has as many recent graduates from academic institutions as experienced resources with an impressive track record. Intensive training and mentoring programs are being developed to equip this talent. 

"The CIC is a team of young professionals, a collaborative environment where there are plenty of opportunities for advancement," states Alan Bros who joined the organization in 2016.

Cooperative Agropur, headquartered in Eastern Quebec and a recognized leader in the dairy industry in Canada, is one of the first clients of the Montreal CIC. Serge Fortier, Vice President, Information Technologies at Agropur took the opportunity to stress once again the importance of the CIC. "The centre provides direct and rapid access to a pool of professionals with the skills required for our technological development, who would otherwise be hired outside the province or country. The successes to date are encouraging and they encourage us to increase our use of CIC resources."  

Cascades, which is the largest recycler in Canada and is the predominant manufacturer and processor of corrugated cardboard, tissue papers and speciality products in North America, also used the IBM CIC in Montreal to obtain the necessary services and resources to support its digital development. "Cascades is in the midst of a great transformation and we had to find a way to add flexibility to the services we offer to our business units. Quick access to qualified and bilingual resources is a challenge for us. The integration of the Montreal CIC with our model gives us a lot more flexibility," said Martin Constant, Director, IT Infrastructure & Operations at Cascades.

The new Client Innovation Centre in Montreal along with the one in Halifax, Nova Scotia, are part of a global network of IBM delivery centres in more than 30 countries and are designed to increase services to Canadian clients. IBM has an integrated set of processes, expertise and specialized tools that it will implement in this new centre in order to offer superior applications to its customers.

About IBM
IBM is one of Canada's top ten private R & D investors, contributing more than $477 million to Canada's research activities in 2015. IBM has a unique approach to collaboration: it provides academic researchers, small and large companies, start-up companies and developers with the business strategies and IT tools they need to innovate. Areas of research include health, agile computing, water, energy, cities, mining, advanced manufacturing, digital media and cybersecurity. Over the past three years, IBM and its partners have helped create more than 240 high-level jobs and launch nearly 40 new companies. Go to http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ca/fr/canadian-innovation.html for more information.

SOURCE IBM Canada Ltd.