IBM Software Group has published its China strategy in 2009 and stated it will build more software parks and industry labs.

Bete F. Demeke, vice president of IBM Greater China and general manager of IBM Software Group Greater China, said that the global economic slowdown affected the Greater China area in a certain degree, but IBM believes China is still one of the fastest growing markets in the world and IBM Software takes the financial crisis as an opportunity, not a threat.

According to D.C. Chien, CEO of IBM Greater China, the company will invest in more Chinese cities in addition to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and it will put more emphasis on regional development. IBM Software Group has announced plans to enhance its support to customers in the second and third-tier Chinese cities and will set up six regional software parks in Jinan, Shenyang, Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Chengdu, respectively. In addition, the company will establish special teams to provide direct technology and sales supports to local customers and partners.

IBM announced plans to set up a China Industry Solutions Lab, which will be attached to IBM China Development Laboratory. Founded in 1999, China Development Laboratory is one of IBM's largest software development labs in the world, with about 5,000 employees and five core software brands, including WebSphere, Lotus, Information Management, Tivoli and Rational.

According to IBM's financial report for 2008, the software business has become a bright spot for the company and it made USD22.1 billion revenue in the period, a year-on-year increase of 11%.