IBM Signs Major Deal With Australia, but Wait! There’s More…

IBM Signs Major Deal
IBM Signs Major Deal: Today, tech giant IBM announced it has signed a new five-year deal with the Australian Government.
 
Effective immediately, IBM will be given $1 Billion AUS to be a “technology partner” for the entire government.
 
This deal is the largest IT contract to ever be signed by the federal government of Australia. It will see IBM provide complete hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions to all the government agencies across Australia.

IBM Signs Major Deal with Australian Government

The arrangement also includes a joint innovation program to further the Australian government’s “digital transformation agenda”. Under this program, IBM’s local Research and Development team will set up an extension in Melbourne focusing on the applications of blockchain, quantum computing, and AI within the government.

IBM explained further that “separate units of expert computer engineers and developers will also be based on the Gold Coast and Canberra to work on cybersecurity solutions for data protection and the application of supercomputing for government services.”

The computing giant has been the tech vendor choice of Australia for 40-plus years and local MD David La Rose said that the partnership is a “very tangible demonstration” of a long and fruitful relationship.
But that’s not all…

Other Deals in Europe

IBM has also signed new cloud computing contracts with six European businesses to develop AI, blockchain and analytics applications. This is appropriate timing as the computing giant has only recently expanded its cloud services to new regions in Europe.

Only the basics have been disclosed about the deals.

One partnership is with German multinational lighting firm Osram AG. The company will use IBM’s hybrid cloud solution as part of its digital transformation programme.

Another— with Italian multimedia publisher Gruppo, involves IBM’s Watson AI service. Watson will provide speedy access to over 1.5 million Italian tax documents for intended use by tax professionals.

Other partnerships include French bank Credit Mutuel, a Spanish health solutions provider Teckel Medical, in the UK — RS components, and Koopman Logistics which is based in the Netherlands. 

IBM’s General Manager for IBM Cloud Europe, Sebastian Krause has the following to say: 

“Enterprises across Europe are gravitating to the IBM Cloud because it helps them modernize their existing infrastructures by gaining access to exciting technologies like AI, blockchain, IoT, analytics and more…At the same time, these companies know they can trust [us] with the security and privacy of their enterprise data – a crucial differentiator in the current era.”

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Stock

IBM stock closed at $139.57 yesterday, July 3rd, which was a decline of -0.21%. As the New York Stock Exchange is closed today to celebrate independence day in America, we will have to wait until tomorrow to see if the IBM deals cause any stock gains.

Featured Image: DepositPhotos.com/Antartis


About the author: Maria Ohle is a content creator spanning multiple subjects. She cites cannabis, business, and culture as her forte’s. Maria holds a degree in Drama and English and has a Diploma in digital multimedia. After two years of writing and working in Vancouver, Canada, she has returned home to Ireland to further her career. She is a dab hand at design as well as art and considers music to be man’s greatest invention.