DHL opens major facility in Czech capital

DHL opened an information technology operations center in the Czech capital on Friday, a spokeswoman said.

The Prague center will serve as the key IT facility for DHL in Europe. The company has similar operations centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Prague center is expected to be in full operation by December and to employ some 800 people by early 2005, said Alison Jocz, a spokeswoman for the company.

DHL planned to invest EUR500 million (USD615 million) in the center over five years, Jocz said.

The company earlier said its decision to relocate the IT center from facilities in Britain and Switzerland was made partly because the Czech Republic is capable of handling such a large operation at lower cost.

DHL, based in Belgium, is owned by Germany’s Deutsche Post World Net.

DPWN Press Release 24 Sept
DHL Inaugurates Key Global IT Services Center in Prague
State-of-the-art data network supports DHL’s global logistics services
Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross and Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman of Deutsche Post World Net’s Management Board, at a ceremony in Prague today opened DHL’s third information-technology services center. With the existing centers in Scottsdale, U.S., and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Prague center completes DHL’s global IT operations structure. Some 800 people will be working at the Prague premises by early 2005. Deutsche Post is investing 500 million euros over five years in the IT center, and DHL’s global IT management will be located in Prague making this the new global IT headquarters
Using state-of-the-art data processing technology, the Prague IT Services Center will be supporting DHL’s entire European IT infrastructure. By locating the IT centers in three different time zones and continents, DHL is able to offer customers complete IT support and services around the clock.
DHL, one of the world’s leading express and logistics services providers, has been part of the Deutsche Post World Net Group since the end of 2002. Bonn, Germany-based Deutsche Post World Net has bundled all its Express and Logistics activities world-wide under the DHL brand.
DHL last year decided to close existing IT functions in the U.K. and Switzerland and open a Center in Prague to secure future growth. The previous facilities were reaching the limit of their capacity as Deutsche Post World Net integrated its various express and logistics businesses. The Prague IT Center is tailored to meet not only today’s demands, but will also be able to fully support DHL’s future expansion.
“With today’s opening, DHL, the pioneer and market leader of the international courier and express industry is setting a further key milestone for successful development in the future. The decision to locate the IT Center in a region with a highly qualified workforce and dynamic economy enables us to excel in global competition and better serve our clients,” Deutsche Post World Net’s Zumwinkel said.
Prime Minister Gross stated: “DHL’s project will bring hundreds of new job opportunities to the Czech Republic, most of which will be for highly qualified workers. Their skills will be further strengthened by the sizable investment into training, which is part of this project. DHL’s investment will also mean the transfer of unique know-how to the Czech Republic and will have a positive effect on the payment balance in the future.”