Business Machines : Banco Popular and IBM Sign Strategic IT Agreement

MADRID, July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco Popular has signed a strategic outsourcing agreement with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to help the bank transform its technology infrastructure, including its private cloud. The bank expects to increase efficiency and flexibility as part of its growth strategy. The agreement may result in an accumulated savings of $200 million over the 10 years of the agreement. Cloud solutions provide Banco Popular with flexibility, speed and a model to allow for innovation and future growth.

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Under the framework of the agreement, Banco Popular will transfer to IBM 41 technology infrastructure employees. Banco Popular Chief Technology Officer Fernando Rodriguez Baquero and General Manager of IBM Global Technology Services Europe Juan Antonio Zufiria presided over the signing ceremony.

Banco Popular stated, "With this agreement, with IBM as our technology partner, we will achieve market standards in terms of technology services needed to run an important digital transformation in Banco Popular, always aiming to deliver the best service to our clients."

"Banco Popular is a pioneer in the Spanish banking industry. We are proud of being a contributor in its strategic plan," said Juan Antonio Zufiria, General Manager of IBM Global Technology Services Europe. "The progressive adoption of innovative solutions such as cloud computing will enable the bank's technology infrastructure to be more flexible and adaptable to business needs, which will result in better client service."

The agreement is a step further in the technology development of Banco Popular, which includes the recent modernization of its Data Center - also with IBM's help - and the bank's new technology headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

About IBM Cloud Computing
IBM has helped more than 30,000 clients around the world with 40,000 industry experts. Since its acquisition in 2013, SoftLayer has served 6,000 new cloud clients. Today, IBM has 100+ cloud SaaS solutions, thousands of experts with deep industry knowledge helping clients transform and a network of 40 data centers worldwide. Since 2007, IBM has invested more than $7 billion in 17 acquisitions including SoftLayer to accelerate its cloud initiatives and build a high value cloud portfolio. IBM holds 1,560 cloud patents focused on driving innovation. In fact, IBM for the 21st consecutive year topped the annual list of US patent leaders. IBM processes more than 5.5M client transactions daily through IBM's public 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 http://www.thoughtsoncloud.com. Join the conversation #ibmcloud.

Contacts:

For IBM:
Leslie Monreal-Feil
IBM Media Relations, U.S.
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

Alfonso Gonzalez Herrero
IBM Media Relations, Spain
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

For Banco Popular:
Comunicacion Banco Popular
Tel: [phone] 657 66 60
[e-mail]
www.comunicacionbancopopular.es

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SOURCE IBM