IBM (NYSE:IBM), the world’s largest computer-services provider, has agreed to sell its customer-care outsourcing business to Synnex Corp. for $505 million in order to focus on more profitable investments.

Synnex will pay $430 million in cash and $75 million in stock, giving IBM a stake in Synnex, the companies said in statements yesterday. The unit had $1.3 billion in 2012 sales, accounting for more than 1 percent of IBM’s revenue.

IBM is getting rid of businesses with lower profit margins to reach a goal of $20 a share in earnings by 2015, up from $15.25 last year. The company last year sold its retail-store systems unit to Toshiba Tec Corp. for $850 million.

That business unit was based in Raleigh, and Toshiba has maintained its presence in the Triangle.

IBM also has had talks with Lenovo about selling its division that makes standard X86 servers, which have become a commodity item amid increasing competition, people familiar with the matter said earlier this year.

IBM has a significant presence in RTP focused on servers, including a high-profile research and development lab.

Lenovo, the world’s No. 1 PC maker, operates its global executive headquarters in Morrisville. IBM sold its PC division to Lenovo in 2005. The PC group was based in  RTP.

However, IBM also continues to make acquisitions. A month ago, for example, IBM paid a reported $800 million for a cybersecurity firm based in Israel. 

“As you look at our strategy, we continue to move our business and transform our business to the higher-value spaces,” said Lori Steele, general manager of IBM Global Process Services, in an interview. “We’re trying to focus on software and analytics.”

The company, based in Armonk, New York, said earlier this year that it would sell assets to make up for a $1 billion charge to cut jobs. IBM excluded the charge from its 2013 earnings forecast, saying future divestitures would make up for the expense.

The customer service unit had a gross profit margin of about 20 percent, IBM Chief Financial Officer Mark Loughridge said in a presentation to investors earlier this year. That compares with margins of about 60 percent for newer businesses like analytics and cloud computing.

Synnex, based in Fremont, California, said the transaction will add 55 cents in earnings per share in the first 12 months after it closes the deal. Its shares jumped as much as 9.4 percent in late trading yesterday after closing at $47.97. IBM was little changed after closing at $186.60.

IBM employs some 10,000 people across North Carolina.

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