The container shipping company CMA CGM has signed a new five year services agreement partnership with technology services company IBM today.
After five years of working together through a joint subsidiary, the two firms announced a new strategic partnership in which IBM will provide industry-specific expertise in new technologies such as cloud computing and analytics, as CMA CGM look to significantly reduce costs.
IT teams from the two companies will be merged into a new subsidiary, CMA Systems, which will have an equally represented governance structure and report directly to Jacques R. Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of CMA CGM.
CMA CGM officials have said that the new services and technologies developed by the new subsidiary, along with its unified organisation, will enable the firm to generate substantial savings in 2012.
“This partnership will enable us to offer our customers innovative, purpose-designed IT solutions, while improving our cost discipline,” said Mr. Saadé.
Alain Bénichou, France president at IBM, the country where CMA CGM are based, commented: “This collaboration will allow us to support CMA CGM in driving efficiencies and increasing innovation with new technologies such as cloud and analytics.”
