The extra money will partly be used to set up two IT services centers, employing a total of new 600 employees. So far in 2005 the company has increased its Argentinean headcount by approximately 500. IBM’s expansion plans also include growing the company’s existing IT campus just outside Buenos Aires.
A number of major IT services providers have built up their presence in Latin America over the last few months. Most recently, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, India’s largest IT services vendor, acquired Chilean business process outsourcing provider Comicrom SA for $23m. In July, Affiliated Computer Services Inc added a new call center in Argentina through its acquisition of customer care services company LiveBridge.