[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

GE will open a new GE Capital Technology Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The center is expected to grow to 300 information technology professionals over the next three years, and focus on developing new software, processes and technologies for its financial services business, GE Capital. Hiring for the center will begin in the second quarter.

Martha Poulter (Vice president and chief information officer, GE Capital): Information technology is a critical part of how we compete in the marketplace and support our key stakeholders. The New Orleans Technology Center, a first for GE Capital, will be a valuable asset for the business, giving us more capabilities and new talent to win.

GE’s new center in New Orleans is part of a three-year trend of GE investing in technology centers in important American cities, similar to New Orleans, across the country. In Detroit, GE opened the Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center that employs roughly 800 information technologists and will bring 1,100 jobs to Michigan by 2013. In Richmond, Virginia, GE opened the Information Security Technology Center that will house 200 hi-tech IT security professionals. In San Ramon, California, GE’s Global Software Center will hire 400 software professionals.