Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced yesterday that Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT), will open its new global software development centre in Atlanta.

"We are proud that Georgia can offer the top-notch technology, workforce and other business assets Wipro is looking for to grow its presence in the United States," said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. "I''m especially pleased about the partnership between Wipro and the University System of Georgia to train and educate close to 500 employees."

Wipro is in the process of choosing a location in metro Atlanta for its first development centre in Georgia; the centre will help Wipro in hiring a certain profile of skilled workers and domain experts who will be critical to Wipro''s business growth plans in the US. The new centre will also enable Wipro to move forward with its business growth strategy to invest and recruit skilled talent within the U.S. in order to provide localized and closer-to-customer service for its expanding technology services business in the Americas.

"The work we''re doing requires more and more knowledge of the customers'' businesses, and you want local people to do that," said P.R Chandrasekar, President, Wipro Technologies. "The Atlanta centre is an investment that will help Wipro''s existing customers as well as help address new business opportunities."

Wipro chose to establish its presence in Atlanta because of the technical talent pool available in the region, given its proximity to key universities. For the first year, the Atlanta facility will hire more than 200 positions. By its third year of operation, the facility is expected to employ over 500 employees. Wipro will also set up a training centre in Atlanta to provide both technical and soft-skills training to its employees in Georgia, and plans to sponsor higher education degrees for up to 40 percent of its employees for training and development.

"Wipro told us what they needed, and the University System of Georgia responded with a comprehensive workforce development program," said Erroll B. Davis, Jr., Chancellor. "Through ICAPP (Georgia''s Intellectual Capital Partnership Program), we tapped into the resources of Georgia''s 35 public colleges and universities to find the best solution for this company. Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University are collaborating with Wipro to create an innovative curriculum development and delivery system."

The centre is part of Wipro''s strategy to build global delivery capabilities and will significantly increase the company''s presence and base of local hires in the United States. Wipro has over 12 offices in the United States, and the Atlanta centre will strengthen the company''s growing global delivery capabilities, which include development centres in Brazil, Eastern and Western Europe, China, Mexico and Canada.

Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Statewide Project Manager Mary Z. Douglass assisted the company with its location, as did the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (MACOC).

"The Wipro investment is significant for metro Atlanta, and will create additional quality jobs coming from India," said Hans Gant, senior vice president of Economic Development for MACOC. "Metro Atlanta continues to expand its global connections, and attract companies half a world away because we''ve got everything they need-a home base located in the heart of the nation''s fastest-growing metro area, a low cost of doing business, access to the world through our international airport and world universities."