Smartmatic Makes Large Investments in New Research and Development Centers

PANAMA CITY, Panama - Tuesday, March 15th 2011 [ME NewsWire]


Smartmatic is Broadening Its International Operations by Opening Two New Branches in Taiwan and Panama, Key Regions That Will Foster the Company’s Expansion Plans in the Global Market of Technological Solutions, in the Areas of Elections, Identity Management and Smart Cities

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panama and Taiwan will soon become research and development centers for technological solutions, which we regard as of utmost importance for our company’s business. The new sites will be staffed by an elite group of engineers and other professionals, including experts in the development of technologies and services for government bodies and Smart Cities (Public Safety, Census, Public Transportation solutions).

The successes accomplished by Smartmatic in high-impact projects during the last few years have boosted its continuous growth. By allocating a $60 million investment in the next 5 years in Panama and Taiwan, the company expects to align its multinational strategy incorporating the developments and ensuing competitive advantages created in the new facilities in both countries.

In Panama’s case, its privileged geographical location, with excellent access to the Atlantic and the Pacific, allows us to communicate optimally and to better reach our markets, thus facilitating our widening range of operations as a multinational technological company. On the other hand, the country’s positive economic indicators (human development, per capita GDP, economic and real-estate growth) and its continuous interest in innovation and technology were also relevant to Smartmatic's choice of establishing a new R&D center there.

After several years of amassing positive experiences in Taiwan, Smartmatic has chosen this Asian country to become the company’s main hardware development and production center. We will have the advantage of the extraordinary boom of its technological industries, as well as the abundance of local talent in the electronics field, both of which give the country a great competitive edge in the Asian and global markets.

“These new branches show that the company is betting on reaching closer to key markets having a tremendous potential for technology development, so that we can respond more efficiently to the needs of the global market,” said Antonio Mugica, Smartmatic’s CEO.

These new spaces for research and development are additions to our existing network of offices in the United States, Barbados, Brazil, Venezuela, the Philippines, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, strengthening the integration of processes related to the development and marketing of Smartmatic’s worldwide offering of solutions and products.

About Smartmatic

Smartmaticis a multinational company that designs and deploys technological solutions aimed to help governments, so they can meet their responsibilities to their citizens in the most efficient way. We are one of the worldwide providers of the most advanced technology, with a long and proven track record in the United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. With over 300 employees around the world, Smartmatic’s key competitive advantage lies in its cutting-edge technology and experience in three key areas: electoral, identity management, and Smart Cities solutions.

Twitter: @Smartmatic
Contacts

Smartmatic

Mrs. Samira Saba, +1-561-862-0747

Marketing and Communications Director

Communications@smartmatic.com