Etihad Airways and IBM announced a ten-year technology services agreement worth approximately $700 million.
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This will allow the airline to enhance guest experience, develop world-class infrastructure and security, and improve efficiency.
The transformational agreement, one of the most important strategic collaborations by Etihad Airways, will provide access to the latest cloud-based technologies and services for the airline, its group companies and equity partners.
Etihad Airways, one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world, carried 14.8 million passengers in 2014, and serves 113 passenger and cargo destinations.
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 centre in Abu Dhabi. The centre, to be developed and operated by IBM, will be one of the most sophisticated technology facilities in the Middle East.
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 impr
ve the guest experience as a result of an enhanced end-to-end process. The agreement will also give Etihad Airways and its equity partners access to IBM’s Watson cognitive technology.
IBM and Etihad Airways will create a joint technology and innovation council in Abu Dhabi to develop more personalised travel solutions using IBM’s global research capabilities and the airline’s industry expertise. The council will focus on value creation for Etihad Airways and its guests, as well as bringing technological innovation and benefits to Abu Dhabi and its people.
Etihad Airways’ current data centre, IT infrastructure, applications and security operations will be migrated to the new data centre in Abu Dhabi, and disaster recovery will be managed at an IBM Cloud data centre 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 centre 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.
The agreement was signed at the end of September 2015. ■