I.B.M.: Africa Is the Next Growth Frontier

Samuel J. Palmisano, I.B.M.’s chief executive, doesn’t jet around the world to make an appearance every time the technology giant wins a services contract. But the announcement Friday morning in Nairobi is different, says I.B.M.

I.B.M. will supply the computing technology and services for an upgraded cellphone network across 16 nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Its customer is India’s largest cellphone operator, Bharti Airtel, which paid $9 billion a few months ago for most of the African assets of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company, or Zain.

By STEVE LOHR

Full Story: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/i-b-m-africa-is-the-next-growth-frontier/?hpw