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250 jobs and new centre of excellence for Glasgow

Global information technology and business process services firm, CGI, will hire 250 professionals in Glasgow, almost doubling its Scottish workforce, the First Minster Alex Salmond announced yesterday.

CGI will establish an Open Source Digital Services Centre for software development in Glasgow, creating nearly 250 new jobs. This new facility will open in early 2014 and will become a centre of excellence for Open Source software development services to CGI’s clients across the European public and commercial sectors.

Open Source software means clients are not tied to a specific program vendor when creating websites or other digital platforms. The recognition of Open Source software as a preferred option to deliver fast and flexible solutions for clients is increasing, not least as a result of the government commitment to use Open Source software. The new centre will also allow CGI to further consolidate its world-class capability and provide clients with the best mix of solutions for evolving digital needs.

The 250 jobs will be filled within two to three years to support the projected business that will be delivered from the new Centre. The roles will range from highly skilled technical and managerial staff, to graduate and apprenticeship entre level opportunities.

The First Minister said:

“The move by CGI to create 250 skilled jobs is very positive and is a yet another welcome boost for Scottish employment, reinforcing our position of out-performing the UK for securing inward investment. This is testament to both the skill of the Scottish workforce and the confidence international companies have in Scotland as a country to invest in.”

Tim Gregory, UK President of CGI said:

“The two main reasons we selected Glasgow as the location for our new centre were the talent pool of highly skilled professionals available in the area, and the support we received from the Scottish Government. We are very excited about the future for this area of our business.”

Anne MacColl, Chief Executive, Scottish Development International said:

"Together with colleagues across Scottish Enterprise, we’ve been working closely with CGI over the past year to understand their business and identify where Scotland can add most value to their global operations.

“That CGI has chosen Scotland as the location for its new Centre of Excellence against global competition is testament to Scotland’s growing reputation as a world leader in software development and in delivering major international projects.”

Notes to editors

Scottish Enterprise, and its international arm Scottish Development International, have been working with both the local management team and at a corporate level to identify how best to support their expansion in Scotland. This includes a £2.5 million Regional Selective Assistance grant to support the development of the new centre and recruitment into these new roles as well as help to establish local industry networks. For more information on RSA visit http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/rsa

Open source software offers user benefits including reduced dependence on specific software vendors, lower total cost of ownership and easier customisation through the wider use of open standards.

CGI has clients in Scotland from sectors as varied as oil and gas, financial services, energy and utilities and the public sector. At present CGI has around 250 members in Scotland based in offices in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, at client sites and working from home.

Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. Approximately 69,000 professionals serve thousands of global clients from offices and delivery centers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of services including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management as well as a wide range of proprietary solutions. With annualized revenue in excess of C$10 billion and an order backlog exceeding C$18 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com