UAE's Etihad Airways signals $700 million contend with IBM

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways on Tuesday signed a $700 million deal with US IT giant IBM for a variety of safety and know-how, infrastructure services.

the 10-yr contract covers Etihad and its associate enterprises across Europe and Asia, Xinhua mentioned the state-owned airline as saying in a statement.

The deal "will enable the airline to raise visitor journey, enhance world-category infrastructure and protection, and increase effectivity," the enterprise referred to.
It hailed the settlement as "probably the most important strategic collaborations by using Etihad Airways" as it will provide access to the newest cloud-primarily based applied sciences and capabilities for the airline, its neighborhood corporations and equity companions.

James Hogan, Etihad Airway president and chief govt officer (CEO), pointed out the agreement is a video game-altering one for the airways, for its companions and personnel, and for Abu Dhabi.

The deal comprises the advent of a brand new cloud statistics centre, to be developed and operated through IBM, in Abu Dhabi.

Martin Jetter, senior vice chairman of IBM world expertise services, pointed out "via this partnership, Etihad Airways is accelerating the move to new technologies comparable to cloud computing and cognitive."

Etihad, which carried 14.eight million passengers in 2014, serves 113 passenger and cargo locations.

The airways partners encompass Airberlin (Germany), Etihad Regional (Switzerland), Austria's Niki, Air Serbia, Alitalia, Air Seychelles and India's Jet Airways.