HONG KONG: IT giant IBM plans to open more solution centers and increase its headcount on the mainland in the coming years as part of its global transition from hardware manufacturer to information technology service provider.

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"We will continue to scale up the number and size of solution centers on the mainland," said Dominic Tong, general manager of IBM's China business.

At present, IBM has five centers and 3,000 staff on the mainland.

The centers are significant because they provide a platform to cultivate mainland IT talents, Tong said. But he refused to disclose how many centers the firm plans to add.

Tong said IBM wants to organize more tours for Hong Kong and mainland IT companies this year, to facilitate investment in each other's markets.

"We regularly organize the so-called China Innovation Tour for companies to visit our research and solution centers on the mainland, which could gear them up to ride on the mainland economic boom."

IBM said it is also helping its mainland partners to go global.

"Many mainland enterprises plan to extend their businesses overseas, and we can use our networks to assist them in setting up branches in overseas markets such as Hong Kong," said Tong.

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