IBM: World class facility
During the time I’ve spent with IBM, every executive I’ve come across has made some reference to how lucky I am to be working at the IBM Toronto Software Lab. I also believe it’s a world class facility.
A recent news article in the York Regional News said:
Millions, if not billions, of on-line shopping transactions across Canada and around the world have been made possible by IBM’s Markham software laboratory.
Straddling the York Region-Toronto border, IBM’s software lab is the largest facility of its kind in the country.
About 2,500 of the brightest computer minds are focused on transforming IBM’s $334-million annual investment in research and development into everyday database and e-commerce solutions.
For the second year in a row, it landed the global computer giant in the top 10 Canadian companies investing in R&D.
IBM Markham finished sixth on the list of Canada’s top 100 R&D spenders last year.
Canada’s top R&D corporations increased spending by 3 per cent. That’s quite an improvement from being down 5 per cent, in 2003.
To remain competitive in a global marketplace, R&D is essential, said Martin Wildberger, director of IBM’s software lab.
“Leadership and technology are the key and that’s why we invest so heavily in R&D,” Mr. Wildberger said.
“We’re producing software for a global marketplace. The software industry in Canada is strong.”
The communication and telecommunications companies accounted for 28 per cent of all R&D spending in Canada last year, followed by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.
Did you know?
IBM Software is divided into 5 major software brands, Rational, Tivoli, WebSphere, Lotus, and DB2. The IBM Toronto Software Lab is the only IBM lab where all 5 major software brands are worked on simultaneously!
