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IBM: IBM Signs Agreement With Whirlpool Corporation

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^{Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, January 28th 2009 at 8:01 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-01-28 08:02:03 by Market Wire}  

ARMONK, NY--(Marketwire - January 28, 2009) - IBM (NYSE: [ IBM ]) today announced that it has signed a multi-year information technology (IT) services agreement with Whirlpool Corporation. Under terms of the contract, IBM will provide Whirlpool with global infrastructure services in more than 40 countries.

IBM will help bring global standardization of processes, enhanced speed of delivery and flexibility and scalability allowing Whirlpool to better align its IT operations to changing business needs. As part of the agreement, IBM will provide mainframe, server, storage, network, desk side support and help desk services.

"The relationship with IBM supports our strategic roadmap by providing standardized infrastructure processes backed by IBM's industry expertise. We expect these changes will allow Whirlpool Global Information Systems to more quickly flex to changing business conditions and improve the quality of service we provide to our businesses," said Kevin Summers, Corporate Vice President & Global Chief Information Officer, Whirlpool Corporation.

"IBM's strong relationship with Whirlpool is the result of true collaboration over many years," said John Goode, IBM vice president, Electronics and Manufacturing Industries. "We worked closely with Whirlpool to develop an IT solution that meets their business goals. The new agreement will help the company's IT environment become more efficient, secure, reliable and simply easier to manage."

The agreement was signed on December 31, 2008 with services commencing June 1, 2009.

About Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $19 billion, more than 73,000 employees, and 69 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets [ Whirlpool ], [ Maytag ], [ KitchenAid ], [ Jenn-Air ], [ Amana ], [ Brastemp ], [ Bauknecht ]and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.

About IBM

For more information, visit [ www.ibm.com/services ].