Sparkassen Informatik, a provider of IT services to German co-operative banks, has signed a new five year contract, worth $700 million, with IBM, for the supply of hardware, software and services.
SI provides technology services to 303 German savings banks, making it the largest IT service provider in the German retail banking market.
The new deal extends an existing four year contract that SI signed with IBM in 2004 for the supply of 20 high-performance mainframe computers.
IBM says the latest contract covers hardware, software infrastructure and services.
SI plans to install several IBM System z Enterprise Class servers as a central component of its services oriented architecture (SOA) strategy, says IBA. The contract also includes implementation of IBM middleware.
The deal will enable SI to continue improving the performance and cost structure of its IT platform and further development and expand its core banking system, OSPlus.
Fridolin Neumann, chairman of the board, SI, says: "We need an infrastructure designed with plenty of capacity for growth that continuously improves cost-performance-ratio for our clients and at the same time satisfies market demands for cost-efficient services. The partnership with IBM will help us to achieve these objectives."