To: Northern Cougar who wrote (71500 ) 11/15/1999 2:04:00 PM From: Susan G Respond to of 120523
IBM Launches Global Internet-Design Centers To Get Businesses Online ====================================================================== NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- International Business Machines Corp. Monday said it launched a world-wide network of electronic-business innovation centers to help clients get their businesses online. IBM Global Services, the consulting arm of the Armonk, N.Y., computer giant, said the centers will bring together business strategists, marketing specialists, interactive designers, application developers and systems integration specialists to help companies plan and install their Internet operations. The move is part of IBM's push to broaden its global services business, which provides everything from computer consulting to installation and maintenance and has been the primarily growth engine for IBM for the past several years. Big Blue said it opened centers in Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C., and plans to expand its presence in those markets as well as open additional facilities in Boston, Los Angeles and New York in the next six months. In Europe, IBM Global said it plans to open centers in the United Kingdom and Germany, and later in Italy, France and other countries. The centers are based on a model pioneered in Atlanta, where IBM in 1995 opened a small Web-site design studio which has grown into a 400-employee shop providing customers with a range of e-business services. The company said the centers will be complemented by a network of alliance partners. The partners initially include AnswerThink Consulting Group Inc. (ANSR), Coleman Group Worldwide, Internet Research Group, OgilvyOne, RGA Interactive, DoubleClick Inc. (DCLK), net.Genesis, and Net Perceptions Inc. (NETP). Copyright (c) 1999 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.