In Growth Markets: IBM expands Corporate Service Corps

MANILA, Philippines - IBM’s breakthrough corporate citizenship initiative, the Corporate Service Corps, is entering into new regions in Africa, Asia and Latin America to provide small businesses, educational institutions and non-profits with sophisticated business consulting and skills development to help improve local conditions and foster job creation.

IBM recently announced an expansion of the program, a corporate version of the Peace Corps, now in its second year and which sends teams of eight to 10 top employees from around the world representing IT, research, marketing, finance, and business development to emerging markets for one month.

The employees work pro bono with local organizations and businesses on projects that intersect business, technology and society. In addition to the new regions being targeted, IBM is expanding the number of employees participating in the program in various regions from 600 to 1,500 by 2010.

In late August, IBM began deploying teams to new countries, including Nigeria and Egypt, and the Asian region as well as returning to previous countries.

By the end of 2009, IBM will have sent 52 teams to the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, India, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Romania, Turkey and other countries.

The Philippines has been a recipient country since the program’s inception in 2008. In general, projects planned for the country include:

• Developing a marketing service facility and investment opportunity database for the Chamber of Commerce and its members;

• Providing the infrastructure for the Chamber of Commerce and its members to enable them for a successful global marketplace; and

• Assisting small and medium businesses and the education sector to develop their capacity through the transfer of skills and training.

Last year, three CSC volunteer teams were assigned to Davao and Bohol. This year (March-June), two more CSC teams shared their global experience and expertise to a handful of select organizations in Subic and Olongapo City.

A sixth team of international IBM volunteers arrived in Iloilo City last Aug. 28 to work with the local academe, government and business groups.

Some of the recipient organizations included the Provincial Planning and Development Office, University of Visayas, Iloilo Economic Development Foundation Inc., Central Philippine University, West Visayas State University, University of Iloilo, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Molo Inc., Iloilo Business Club Inc., and Iloilo Federation for Information Technology.

Three IBM employees from the Philippines have also been chosen to do CSC work in Africa and Brazil.

“We have been fortunate to be chosen as a multiple destination for the CSC program. This is a testament to IBM’s commitment to continue growing in the Philippines and building sustaining impact for our community. And by having selected three employees (so far) to do volunteer work in Africa and Brazil, it shows that IBM also recognizes the potential of Filipino talents as future leaders of the company,” said James Velasquez, country general manager of IBM Philippines.

“Again, the IBM Corporate Service Corps is an excellent program which produces a triple benefit. The participants benefit via a once-in-a-lifetime, problem-solving exercise in the developing world; the communities gain by obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in pro bono expert consulting services, and our company (IBM) benefits by growing its next generation of leaders with the skills required to lead in a globally integrated world,” he added.