About IBM

IBM was established in New Zealand in 1955 and is part of IBM Corporation that was first incorporated in New York in 1911. IBM NZ's clients span all sectors of the economy including banking, retail, agri-business, food processing and energy. IBM NZ's work in the public sector was recently recognised with the Cisco 2007 Public Sector Partner of the Year Award and the KidSmart Community programme received the Robin Hood Foundation's 2007 Social Hero Award for Education Partnership.

• Worldwide - 356,000 across 170 countries.

• New Zealand - more than 1,000 employees and contractors.

• 29 graduates are part of the NZ team.

• 30% of employees, more than 20% of managers, and 25% of the executive team are women.

• 95% of employees who take parental leave return to work for IBM.
  
  

• Revenue: NZ $358 million

• Pre-tax profit: NZ $29 million

• Net profit: NZ $19 million

• Worldwide, 3,000 IBM scientists and engineers are working on innovative, business oriented technology.

• IBM holds more patents than any other firm in the world.

• IBM is a principal sponsor of the University of Canterbury's ICT Innovation Institute and Advanced Computing Facility, launched in 2006. This facility has an IBM p575 supercomputer and in 2007 purchased a Blue Gene.

• IBM sponsors the University of Canterbury's Entré Programme, an innovation competition for students.

• IBM is a founding partner in the University of Auckland’s National Institute for Health Innovation, launched in 2006.

• Specialists at the University of Auckland's Bioengineering Institute are utilising an IBM Power5 server for their important research work.

• Around half of NZ employees belong to the World Community Grid, a grid technology project that harnesses unused computing capacity to aid research projects.

• Worldwide, IBM is involved in the Genographic Project, a five year study partnership with National Geographic.

• IBM NZ works with six fully certified distribution companies. These distributors have around 300 contracted partners under IBM's associate member programme.

• IBM also works directly with five premier business partners.

• All of IBM's software is supplied through local business partners.

• More than 100 software partners are registered under IBM's developers programme.

• In 2006, IBM held its inaugural NZ Business Partner awards and received a large number of entries. www.ibmbpawards.co.nz

• IBM New Zealand has an award winning million dollar community programme.

• 260 KidSmart units provide 18,000 New Zealand children attending New Zealand's less privileged kindergartens with access to technology.

• More than 600 kindergarten teachers have also been trained in the use of ICT in early childhood education.

• IBM donated expertise to NetSafe for the development of the "First Steps to Cybersafety" programme for early childhood centres.

• There are three IBM TryScience kiosks around New Zealand.

• IBM sponsors the EEO Trust's Work and Life Awards and the Computerworld Excellence Awards.

• In 2006, four tertiary students received cash grants for university fees.

• IBM has joined the First Foundation scholarship programme and is providing financial support, mentoring and work experience to a promising young student from Aotea College.

• In 2006, three top graduate students from Victoria University's Department of Computer Science joined IBM's software intern programme at our Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, California.

• Every year IBM NZ employees donate more than 3,000 hours of their time to helping non-profit organisations.

• Through the IBM NZ employee's Great Place to Work initiative, trees are planted on Motutapu Island, toys are donated to charities at Christmas and donations are made to a number of charities including the Women's Refuge, foodbanks, the Wellington City Mission and Wellington Free Ambulance.

• In 2006, IBM donated 319 refurbished notebook computers and printers to not-for-profit organisations.

• Worldwide, IBM has had a corporate policy on environmental affairs since 1971.

• In NZ, energy efficiency is a prime factor in office relocations and refits. The move to the Majestic Centre resulted in energy savings of 30% and the Auckland office refit is expected to result in similar savings.

• Specifications for a new centre in Petone (to be completed in 2009) include a four star or better environmental rating.

• IBM NZ's "green office initiatives" include recycling stations and double-sided printing.

• In 2006:
  
  • The amount of non-hazardous waste disposed to landfill decreased by 26% (by weight).
  • The amount of non-hazardous waste recycled increased by 6% (by weight).
  • The amount of paper consumed per employee fell by 5%.