Global technology company IBM is expanding its African footprint in response to demand for its services from forward-thinking companies on the continent.

Africa’s business leaders have been praised for using technology to transform their operations by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, Ginni Rometty.

She said: “I look on in envy. With the youngest population in the world and growing discretionary income, this is a wonderful market. There is a willingness and effort to transform industries.”

Ms Rometty was speaking at an IBM CIO Leadership Exchange event in Johannesburg where she also told the gathering that IBM’s conviction for Africa was down to the fact it was not an average market and nor was it an average time.

IBM sold its very first machine in the continent in 1911, but more recently it has been concentrating on dramatically increasing its footprint across Africa.

The company is now represented in 24 countries and it has opened one of its revered research centres in Kenya.

Michael Rhodin, Senior Vice President of IBM Software Solutions Group said: “As an emerging economy we are very focused on positioning ourselves. The opportunities are what attract us.”

He added that African companies were quick to embrace new techniques and tools such as analytics and social media which enable them to deliver value in a much more precise and successful manner.

It was announced last month that McDonald’s South Africa is to roll out a method of communication using social networking (using IBM social business software).

It is intended to achieve faster and more efficient communication between its 8,000 employees and 200-odd restaurants.

McDonald’s is working with IBM and its Business Partner, Knowledge Dimension to transform communication ad help geographically dispersed employees to communicate  more effectively, sharing ideas that will help the deliver exceptional customer service.

Also according to IBM, a key trend of the second decade of the 21st century will be the ability of organisations to manipulate data using analytics to improve their efficiency. Any system, be it transportation, water resources or public safety, can benefit from this trend.

Source : abdas.org