RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Now that the IBM $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat has closed, the companies are seeking to put a positive spin on the deal and each firm’s commitment to what they call “social impact.”
While the talk about the IBM-Red Hat merger has focused on business opportunities, especially within cloud computing, there are other aspects to the tech firm’s combination.
Red Hat has insisted that it will operate as a separate business unit within the much-larger IBM, and part of that is the Hatters’ culture based in large part on its heritage as an Open Source software/collaborative company. Each firm in its own ways gives back to communities and organizations through education and a variety of programs.
DeLisa Alexander, Red Hat’s Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, and Guillermo Miranda, IBM’s Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility, talked about social responsibility.
“We are excited about the union of our two companies, and the potential to make an impact,” they wrote in a blog post.
Delisa Alexander
Wrote Alexander:
“Red Hat’s why statement is ‘open unlocks the world’s potential.’ We developed it with input from associates around the world, and it explains why Red Hat exists. We believe open technologies and open culture unlock potential, for our customers, for ourselves, and in the world. In communities across the globe, Red Hat associates volunteer, often leveraging open source technologies, to bring people together and make new connections.
“We look to our associates to guide the areas where we seek to have a positive impact on the world. Red Hat Cares, our flagship corporate social responsibility program, includes our grants to nonprofit organizations, our gift matching and global volunteer programs, as well as leadership engagement. We primarily focus our efforts in areas Red Hatters care about the most, including organizations that provide for basic human needs, STEM education, and health education.”
Added Miranda:
Guillermo Miranda
“Applying our tech for good comes naturally for us at IBM. You could say it’s in our DNA. “Innovation that matters —for our company and for the world” is one of three core values ingrained in the hearts and minds of IBMers around the world.
“For more than a century, we have been applying science to real-world problems to create a better tomorrow. One that’s more sustainable, more secure and more equitable.
“Just look at the kinds of challenges we’ve taken on through our history –from the creation of Social Security in the United States, to shaping modern banking and business, to putting a man on the moon to, more recently, ushering in a new era of artificial intelligence.
“We go after big challenges. It’s what makes IBM, IBM.”
