IBM has reached a seven-year agreement with NiSource to continue providing a broad range of IT services, including the creation and management of a hybrid cloud computing environment.
The agreement, worth $600m, is expected to accelerate business innovation, while supporting NiSource’s continued strong focus on customer service, system security and business application performance.
SoftLayer, a part of IBM that has a tally of 4,500 new cloud clients, along with a secure cloud run by traditional infrastructure will assist the electricity and natural gas company based in Indiana to put a hybrid IT model into operation under this deal.
The hybrid cloud combination generated will continue facilitating NiSource in delivering consistent and competent customer service, as well as providing accessibility to superior technology.
Among the benefits of the new agreement, NiSource will now have the ability to collaborate with the IBM Client Center for Advanced Analytics to bring new analytics capabilities that further enable the company to solve business challenges.
The advantages to companies by welcoming hybrid cloud computing are numerous. The benefits cover improved agility to react to the fast-changing business environment, increased competence due to better match between computing workloads and an ideal infrastructure, and the capacity for new potential like mobile technology, analytics, etc.
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GM of IBM Global Technology Services, North America, Philip Guido declared NiSource as "a powerful example of how companies today are turning to the cloud as a competitive lever for their business".
He added: "Embracing the cloud not only provides a better way to integrate hybrid IT systems, it enables companies to forge new pathways to innovation and improve services by applying technologies such as analytics across their enterprise."
Engaged in electricity generation transmission and distribution as well as natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, NiSource said the new partnership is in step with the financial outlook of the company.
