As TIBCO expands operations worldwide, we’re committed to approaching our growth as an organization with a truly global point of view. In contrast to the typical Silicon Valley-based company “with operations” in certain countries or regions, our approach requires a more nuanced understanding of the local market’s unique characteristics and needs.

Let me explain why I think this is a significant distinction.

Cultivating an integrated, indigenous workforce is an imperative for economic success in any developing society. When TIBCO expands into a new market, we work hard to build a local team, provide the necessary training and skills set development, and, in general, participate and contribute as a good citizen of each and every country in which we operate.

So in South Africa, we’re following the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) program. Created to redress inequalities by giving disadvantaged groups economic opportunities previously not available to them, the BEE program includes measures such as employment equity, skills development, ownership, management and corporate social investment. In support of this, TIBCO has expanded our Software Skills Academy to South Africa, where we maintain offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Beginning with basic training in our South African offices, academy enrollees then continue with a phase of higher-level training during a three-month stay at TIBCO’s R&D facility in the United Kingdom.

Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with one of our South African Software Skills Academy graduates, a woman named Rasia Mahomed, about her experience. After obtaining a degree in Human Resources, Rasia worked at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) during an internship. With very limited exposure to IT and an educational background in HR, Rasia jumped into the TIBCO Software Skills Academy training program head first. She completed all the practical and theoretical coursework on TIBCO’s products and solutions quickly, graduating in just three months’ time. Today, she works closely with TIBCO engineers, serving customers throughout South Africa.

At TIBCO, we believe grassroots efforts such as the Software Skills Academy help to distinguish the company by engendering a longer term positive impact than the norm on the emerging markets in which we’re involved. TIBCO is not as large as your typical multi-national organization in terms of revenue or number of employees just yet. But we are determined to be a global leader in making a difference. When it comes to corporate social responsibility, we believe it’s never too early to act.