Etihad Airways and IBM have signed a 10-year technology services agreement worth $700 million, which will allow the airline to enhance guest experience, develop world-class infrastructure and security, and improve efficiency.
The agreement will provide access to the latest cloud-based technologies and services for the airline, its group companies and equity partners.
IBM will deliver a range of secure and efficient technology services, allowing Etihad Airways and its partners to transform their IT infrastructure into global, flexible and agile cloud-based platforms to better serve their guests and employees.
The agreement includes plans for the creation of a new cloud data center in Abu Dhabi which will be to be developed and operated by IBM.
Through IBM’s mobile solutions, developed under the Apple-IBM alliance, the airline will provide enhanced mobile capabilities to its employees and guests. Other solutions will enable airport operations to run more efficiently, which will improve the guest experience as a result of an enhanced end-to-end process.
Also, the agreement will give Etihad Airways and its equity partners access to IBM’s Watson cognitive technology.
Etihad Airways’ current data center, IT infrastructure, applications and security operations will be migrated to the new data center in Abu Dhabi, and disaster recovery will be managed at an IBM Cloud data center in Europe. This approach will allow the airline to scale and manage its IT resources more efficiently, while ensuring business continuity.
As part of the agreement, around 100 Etihad Airways information technology employees will transition to IBM, where they will have access to further IT skills development opportunities. IBM will manage the entire data center operation, including individual infrastructure services and IT helpdesk for Etihad Airways.
The collaboration provides a global framework for technology service delivery for Etihad Airways and its Etihad Airways Partner airlines, including Alitalia, airberlin, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Etihad Regional.