Anthem Teams with IBM to Strengthen IT Operational Performance

New agreement to ready IT environment for the innovation of cloud computing

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Jan 21, 2015, 12:25 ET

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
[email protected]

Gene Rodriguez
Public Relations Director, Anthem, Inc.
317.488.6168
[email protected]

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SOURCE IBM