ARMONK, N.Y., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM)
today announced a new strategic technology services agreement with
Anthem, Inc., one of the leading health benefits companies in the
U.S. IBM has been selected to provide operational services
for Anthem's mainframe and data center server and storage
infrastructure for the next five years. Among the benefits of
the relationship, Anthem has the ability to leverage IBM Cloud
solutions that will help increase the ease, availability and speed
of adding infrastructure to support new business requirements.
This services agreement, valued at nearly $500 million, is a key part of Anthem's strategy
to strengthen the operational performance of its enterprise
technology infrastructure and business solutions, and improve the
member experience and the value delivered to members in its
affiliated health plans.
Anthem, Inc. serves nearly 69 million people through its
affiliated companies, including more than 37 million enrolled in
its family of health plans. The company has been at the forefront
of using technology to provide new and better solutions that
simplify health care processes and improve health care quality. As
the company continues to grow, Anthem wants to improve the value of
its business systems by enabling greater performance and
reliability of its technology infrastructure.
"We are excited about our renewed partnership with IBM, which
includes numerous enhancements to contracted service levels and
support processes. The health care industry is going through
dynamic change that requires us to be more agile and responsive,
utilizing advanced technology to drive better quality, value and
outcomes for consumers," said Tom
Miller, senior vice president and chief information officer,
Anthem, Inc. "Our partnership with IBM will help provide the
infrastructure and IT capabilities we need to respond rapidly to
market demands, launch new products for plan members and deliver on
Anthem's mission to transform health care with trusted and caring
solutions."
As part of the agreement, IBM will offer new cloud orchestration
capabilities that provide the foundation for Anthem to seamlessly
integrate cloud infrastructure, off-premise or on-premise, into its
existing data center environment. This will also enable Anthem to
further consolidate infrastructure onto a consistent, flexible
platform that can rapidly scale to meet business needs across the
enterprise.
"IBM and Anthem have a rich history of collaboration in applying
robust technology services to improve health care processes and
quality," said Philip Guido, general
manager, IBM Global Technology Services, North America. "The extension of our
partnership will further support Anthem's growth strategy and
continued leadership in enabling innovative health care solutions
through technology."
About Anthem, Inc.
Anthem is working to transform health care with trusted and
caring solutions. Our health plan companies deliver quality
products and services that give their members access to the care
they need. With nearly 69 million people served by its affiliated
companies, including more than 37 million enrolled in its family of
health plans, Anthem is one of the nation's leading health benefits
companies. For more information about Anthem's family of companies,
please visit www.antheminc.com/companies.
About IBM Cloud Computing
IBM is the global leader in open enterprise cloud enabling
secure data and infrastructure integration in the cloud. For more
information about cloud offerings from IBM, visit
http://www.ibm.com/cloud. Follow us on Twitter at @IBMcloud and on
our blog at www.thoughtsoncloud.com. Join the conversation
#ibmcloud.
Media Contacts:
Leslie
Monreal-Feil
IBM Media Relations
720.430.8902
lmonreal@us.ibm.com
Gene Rodriguez
Public Relations Director, Anthem, Inc.
317.488.6168
Geraldine.Rodriguez@anthem.com
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SOURCE IBM