IBM will set up two new IT solutions centers in China and India, underscoring the Asian countries' continued importance as a hub for outsourcing.

The new centers--one in Beijing and the other in Pune in western India, will each employ 500 people, Jeby Cherian, director of IBM's global business solutions center, said Tuesday.

Earlier in October, IBM relocated its global procurement headquarters to Shenzhen in southern China. The company has also made India a global delivery hub for software needs and client services.

"The centers position us strongly to take advantage of what we see as a $160 billion market in service-oriented architecture. The other underlying story is it demonstrates IBM's commitment to the emerging markets of China and India," Cherian said.

IBM is focusing on services-oriented architecture (SOA), which makes it easier for businesses to quickly find information stored in different formats.

The company sees SOA as a key driver of future growth and hopes the technology will help sell other products, such as server computers and consulting services.

The new center at Pune will focus on the insurance and health care industries, while the Beijing facility will focus on banks and government departments.

IBM has 43,000 employees in India--up from 9,000 three years ago--and 7,200 staff members in China.

Big Blue, which derives about half its revenue from IT consulting and outsourcing, announced in June plans to invest nearly $6 billion in India over three years.

IBM, which started operations in India in 1992, has sites in 14 Indian cities, and its network of 2,500 business partners covers 40 cities.