Under the investment plan, BT will invest in additional portfolio and resource capability as an overlay on the strong footprint the company has already established. This will be carefully aligned to the growth plans of its multinational customers as they continue to expand across in Asia Pacific.
The region is viewed by BT as a major growth area. The company is building scale, reach and capability to continue delivering high performance networked IT services consistently and seamlessly.
BT sees the addressable market for its services in Asia Pacific at around GBP 8bn, with annual growth rates of 6%. Enhancing our senior professional services, industry sector and innovation resources will form a key part of the plan; with up to 300 people being recruited in the region. BT will also pursue large regional managed services deals, an area where we lead the market today.
One aim of the programme is to grow BT's existing successful business with global corporations expanding into Asia - but this will be mirrored by a drive to provide more services to Asianbased companies poised to extend their reach globally.
BT chief executive Ian Livingston said: "BT has seen strong growth in its Asia Pacific operations. The region will be a key engine of growth for the world economy. We are already providing the infrastructure and capabilities to help global multinationals expand in the Asia Pacific region. We expect to see more companies from the area expand both regionally and globally. This should be the decade of the Asian multinational and BT will be there to assist them"
The programme will see enhancements to many products and services. There will be technology showcase centres where customers can interact directly with BT's leading edge products.
BT will continue to build out its delivery model to take advantage of the cost and quality opportunities in the significant Asian market. BT customers in Asia Pacific can expect a fuller, richer product and proposition set to meet the demands of their local business operations.
BT's presence in Asia Pacific dates back to 1985. The company currently employs around 5,000 specialists delivering services in 18 countries, with an additional 25,000 people indirectly employed by BT in the region. Core service offerings in the region include convergence solutions, customer relationship management (CRM), conferencing, outsourcing, security, IT transformation and mobility.
BT maintains regional 24/7 service centres, with a customer management centre in Pune, India and customer service help desks in Beijing, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. There is also a technology & service centre in Dalian, China.
Other centres of excellence include a research centre in Malaysia, a research centre in China, a global operations centre in Gurgaon, India, and an India-UK advanced technology centre with 22 industrial and academic partners.
More details will be announced as this programme is rolled out through the Asia Pacific region.