Cybercom opens another office in China
Via newly acquired Plenware, Cybercom opened a new office in Chengdu (western China). The operation focuses on embedded systems, is recruiting more than 100 employees before the summer, and intends to expand to more than 200 employees in 2009.
On Wednesday, 30 January, Paavo Väyrynen and Hannu Meskanen opened Cybercom’s new office in Chengdu, China. Väyrynen is Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and Meskanen is the founder and managing director of Plenware. The operation's expertise is embedded systems software.
“The Chengdu office is a continuation of our international expansion,” says Patrik Boman, president and CEO of the Cybercom Group. “The office is a natural part of our global sourcing proposition, in which we combine strong local presence with efficient global delivery capacity.”
Cybercom’s expansion into China is through Plenware, a Finnish IT consultancy that Cybercom acquired in December. In 2007, Plenware opened its first office in Beijing, which the Chengdu office now complements. The Chengdu office is managing international and Chinese customer projects.
“It’s exciting to continue the expansion in China, which Plenware launched last year," says Meskanen, Plenware's founder and managing director. “Now, as part of Cybercom, we will continue to drive the vision of offering global solutions for our local customers' projects.”
Chengdu has 10 million inhabitants, is the most important trading centre in western China, and the capital of the Sichuan province. The IT industry receives top priority in Chengdu and focuses on foreign investments and high-tech industrial projects for export. The 78 universities and 660 technical schools in the Sichuan province provide a wide selection of competent employees. Meanwhile, the cost level is lower than in coastal cities in China.
“Progress requires co-operation,” Väyrynen said at Plenware’s opening ceremony in Chengdu. “This worked well for us in Finland – co-operation between authorities, universities, research parks, and companies. We hope this will also work well in Chengdu, which is known for its universities and high-tech industrial parks.”
