The blessing of the expanded Tulay IT Facility was held at the Bayanihan Center alongside with the graduation rites of OFWs enrolled in OWWA's free computer classes.

Even if it has been encountering problems lately with pension firm GSIS, it’s still business as usual for tech giant IBM as it recently announced that it has clinched a deal with mobile operator Globe Telecom.

In a statement released by its global headquarters in Armonk, New York, IBM said it collaborated with network equipment vendor Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to deliver a service delivery platform to the Ayala-owned carrier.

No financial figures were disclosed.

The service platform is expected to help Globe reduce its time-to-market for new services by more than 80 percent, allowing the operator to create and deliver services and campaigns for its customers faster than ever before, the statement said.

For example, IBM said Globe was able to get their first application up and running in two and half weeks instead of the usual six months.

Globe currently has more than 26 million subscribers.

The solution, according to the statement, removes many of the traditional cost and complexity inhibitors by providing a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) platform that incorporates open IT and telecom industry standards, including Next Generation Operational Support Systems (NGOSS) to integrate its existing systems.

“We are very excited to be working with IBM on this strategic project and have already seen tremendous improvements just by obtaining flexibility in terms of our service creation,” Mario Domingo, head of product design and creation for Globe, said in the statement.

As part of the contract, IBM is delivering WebSphere, Rational, and Tivoli software using SOA aligned with NGOSS standards.

Globe will also utilize IBM's Telecom Operations Content Pack as an accelerator to streamline the integration and automation of key processes.

“The service delivery platform will not only make service creation and deployment more rapid and efficient, but can also help simplify management of Globe's service portfolio,” stated Scott Stainken, general manager for IBM’s telecommunications industry.