Allianz in exclusive talks with IBM on IT outsourcing

FRANKFURT: Allianz has entered into exclusive negotiations with IBM to outsource large parts of its in-house information technology services, the German insurer said on Tuesday.

Allianz plans integrate its internal networks and global data centres into what it calls the Allianz Private Cloud by the end of 2017, in a move that will cut the number of data centres to six from 140 currently, the insurer said in a statement.

Allianz declined to give financial details of the deal, but a source close to the company said the insurer planned to invest an amount in the mid hundreds of millions of euros to restructure its IT services.

A German newspaper had reported in late August that Allianz was discussing a 10-year outsourcing contract that was likely to be awarded to IBM or Computer Sciences Corp, saying that CSC was the frontrunner in talks.