Exchange Database

ICBC deal shows U.S. tech giant IBM still engaged in China

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has deployed a new IBM mainframe computer system, the two companies said on Tuesday, boosting the U.S. technology giant's credentials in the country. IBM's joint announcement with ICBC, the world's largest bank by market capitalisation, shows IBM is still doing business with China's state-owned banks despite widely circulated media reports in May that suggested China's central government had ordered banks to remove IBM equipment because of cybersecurity concerns. The U.S. company's efforts to repair any public relations damage have included the announcement in recent weeks of a string of deals in China to assure investors of its future in the market and salvage its reputation with other potential Chinese buyers.
Outcomes: 
In a statement released only in Chinese, ICBC chief technology officer Lin Xiaoxuan said that ICBC was the first bank in mainland China to introduce IBM mainframes 30 years ago and that they have since played an "important role" in the bank's IT operations". Beijing-based Forrester analyst Gene Cao said that the Chinese government would like to reduce its banks' dependence on foreign technology but added that his conversations with IT officials at large banks lead him to believe that the reports about an IBM ban were overblown.
Government?: 
No
Type of Exchange: 
business
Partners: 
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)
IBM
Participants (Types): 
company executives
Exchange Date: 
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Continuing: 
No
Image: 
Location: 
United States and China
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