[August 02, 2004] Dow Awards IBM Global IT Services Contract; Agreement Includes Global IT Operations and Voice Over IP Implementation ARMONK, N.Y. & MIDLAND, Mich. --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 2, 2004 -- The Dow Chemical Company has selected IBM to manage its worldwide IT infrastructure. Under the seven-year agreement, IBM will upgrade and deploy an infrastructure that will support new technologies that enable Dow to achieve cost savings, improve service levels, operate with more flexibility and realize business innovation. The on demand agreement includes services support for local area networks, wide area networks, voice, video and e-enabled conference rooms. Additionally, IBM will provide electronic mail for over 50,000 Dow employees and contractors, support for 2,800 servers and field services in 63 countries. IBM will also transform Dow's voice communications by adding Internet telephony to Dow's global network, using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. "IBM will provide the technology and business knowledge that will help us continue to innovate and grow," said Dave Kepler, Corporate Vice President, Shared Services, and Chief Information Officer. "Working together, we will leverage information technology to increase productivity, streamline decision-making and connect more conveniently with our customers." The new agreement covers the broad spectrum of Dow's IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, voice, data and video networking, security management, e-mail and disaster recovery. In addition, IBM will provide Dow with a custom portal that allows Dow IT service leaders to monitor enterprise operations and performance. IBM's first task will be to initiate a complete review of Dow's global infrastructure, looking for opportunities to consolidate systems and upgrade internal networks to achieve improvements in performance and flexibility, as well as realize cost savings. "Dow's long history of success is a testament to its focus on core business functions, as well as its commitment to using technology to drive business excellence," said Bob Zapfel, General Manager, IBM Global Services, Americas. "IBM is looking forward to working with Dow to support their strategic priorities and create an IT infrastructure that achieves new levels of flexibility, responsiveness, resiliency and performance." The new agreement builds upon a decades-long relationship between IBM and Dow. Most recently, Dow selected IBM to ensure the performance of dozens of new servers that support the growth of Dow's e-business capabilities. These hosting services support advanced applications for both internal and external customers worldwide. In addition, IBM was also responsible for the recently completed worldwide rollout of 40,000 Dow workstations. IBM hosts key financial applications for Dow, as well as it's public website www.dow.com. Worldwide VOIP Project IBM will deploy a global IP network for Dow that will handle voice communications, including voice mail, e-mail, fax, call center applications, personal assistance tools and teleconferencing. About Dow Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $33 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 180 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its approximately 46,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. Reference to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. About IBM Global Services IBM Global Services is the world's largest information technology services and consulting provider, generating record revenue and signings in 2003 of $42.6 billion and $55.5 billion, respectively. Some 180,000 professionals in more than 160 countries help clients integrate information technology with business value -- from the business transformation and industry expertise of IBM Business Consulting Services to hosting, infrastructure, technology design and training services. Leveraging IBM's unequalled scope and scale, IBM Global Services delivers integrated, flexible and resilient processes -- across companies and through business partners -- that enable clients to benefit from the on demand business model by saving money and transforming their businesses to be more competitive. For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com/services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]