In New Zealand since 1955, IBM and its employees have supported the communities in which we live and work. We are engaged in global community programmes that focus on education, skills development and entrepreneurships, and we invest in collaborations that combine expertise with technology.
At IBM, we aim to use our technology and innovation to make a positive difference in all the communities we touch, both as an organisation and as individuals. Our philosophy of community investment is to help people use information technology to improve the quality of life for themselves and others. Consequently, our contributions target the areas where stakeholder consultation shows us we can leverage our expertise in technology. In New Zealand we focus on:
- improving primary and secondary education– particularly in disadvantaged communities;
- using technology services and expertise to support our communities; and
- addressing the digital divide.
Our dedicated Corporate Citizenship function works in partnership with not-for-profit organisations and government, co-ordinating the donation of funds, technology services and expertise and employee time to support specific programmes and help our community partners to perform more efficiently and effectively.
We believe the same information technology innovations that are revolutionising businesses should also benefit our community organisations. These technologies have the potential to help organisations deliver better services, manage costs, maximise effectiveness and implement exciting new programmes.
Helping New Zealand’s not-for-profit and educational organisations take advantage of these technologies requires more than cheque book philanthropy. We work hand-in-hand with our community partners to design solutions that address specific problems. This kind of working relationship requires our partners to make significant commitments to us: to go beyond business as usual, to set clear benchmarks and to focus on measurable results.
Our approach is paying dividends. By fusing our technology and volunteering efforts with our partners’ expertise, we are improving the lives of our communities throughout New Zealand.
At the same time, we are benefiting as a company. Our community projects help us to drive innovation and enrich and inspire the thousands of IBM employees involved.