HispanicBusiness

General Motors picked the Atlanta area for the third of four new software centers after selecting Warren and Austin, Texas for the first two.

The automaker plans to hire about 1,000 software engineers, project managers, database experts and others to staff the new operation in Roswell, Ga. The fourth location will be announced soon.

The newest Innovation Center is part of GM Chief Information Officer Randy Mott's effort to "insource" about 90% of the company's information technology work. When Mott joined the company in February, GM was only conducting about 10% of its own IT work.

But Mott wants GM to take direct control of most of its IT work so that it can eliminate a complex network of overlapping software applications, databases and IT systems. He believes GM can deliver IT advancements that will expedite and improve the vehicle development process.

"We look to the Innovation Centers to design and deliver IT that drives down the cost of ongoing operations while continuously increasing the level and speed at which innovative products and services are available to GM customers," Mott said in a statement. "The IT Innovation Centers are critical to our overall GM business strategy and IT transformation."

GM in October said it would hire 1,500 workers for its new software center at the GM Technical Center in Warren. The company previously launched a new software center in Austin with plans to hire 500 workers.

GM also recently announced that it would hire 3,000 Hewlett-Packard employees who previously did information-technology work for the automaker.

The automaker gravitated toward the Atlanta area in part because of the "deep pool of high-tech expertise through the surrounding colleges, universities and talent residing in the area," Mott said.