GM to hiring up to 500 for Texas computer center

(AP) General Motors says it will hire up to 500 people to staff a new computer center in Austin, Texas.

The automaker says it will hire software developers, project managers, database experts and business analysts.

The Austin center is the first of several that the company plans to open in the U.S. The company says it picked Austin because it has a workforce with the skills that GM needs for the jobs.

GM says its information technology innovation centers will help to get breakthrough ideas into the company's cars and trucks. It's also intended to improve GM's business processes and drive down costs.