Spanish savings bank "la Caixa" has signed a ten-year strategic services agreement with IBM to manage the infrastructure technology budget of "la Caixa" of more than 2 billion euro over ten years.

Through Serveis Informatics la Caixa, S.A. (Silk), IBM will provide technology, operations, applications and infrastructure services to "la Caixa" and will manage its data processing centres, located in Cerdanyola del Valles and San Cugat (Barcelona).

The contract will provide "la Caixa" with access to new technologies and innovations to enhance its business development both in Spain and global markets and the new strategic alliance is expected to save 400 million euro for "la Caixa" over the term of the agreement.

The contract also includes collaboration between the "la Caixa" Innovation Center in Barcelona and IBM´s research centres.

"la Caixa" general manager Juan Maria Nin said working with recognised technology leaders is very important to la Caixa.

"This agreement allows us to offer better services to our clients and obtain competitive advantages in a sector in which innovation and new technologies are key to realizing growth," said Maria Nin.

IBM Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel general manager Juan A. Zufiria said for the last 50 years, IBM has been the privileged technology partner of ‘la Caixa’ and today the bank renewed its confidence in IBM.

"With this strategic alliance, we open up our capacity, experience and talent to ‘la Caixa’ to support their growth plans," said Zufiria.