ABN Amro has signed a 10-year, multi-billion dollar services agreement with IBM to manage the IT infrastructure that supports the bank’s operations globally.
The agreement includes the implementation of a private IBM cloud together with further standardisation and simplification of the existing IT landscape, from mobile computing to mainframe infrastructure.
The deal provides fully managed services for mainframe, servers, storage, end-user computing, help desk as well as application support, and is part of an enterprise-wide transformation initiative at ABN Amro that is intended to propel the bank's digital strategy.
Like many of its banking peers, ABN Amro last month announced it would cut staffing at its branch network and invest in improved online banking services as customers increasingly switch to online and mobile channels.
Piet Bil, IBM managing director for ABN Amro says the new outsourcing deal will help the bank prepare for the strategic shift in the industry by accelerating time to market and improving customer service.
“With this agreement we will further speed-up the transformation of ABN Amro enabling the latest technology and services," he says. "Through our continued partnership, ABN Amro will be able to evolve its IT infrastructure with new capabilities that leverage IBM’s investments in cloud, as well as analytics and security.”