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IBM recently announced that BP, the British multinational oil and gas company, has selected Big Blue to integrate and manage BP’s business applications globally, as well as provide enhanced service desk support for 60,000 employees and 80,000 devices in the Americas and Europe.
IBM was chosen to support BP in enhancing user interaction with the service desk and improving business IT processes across all key BP IT operations.
With operations around the world, BP selected IBM to provide the next generation of application management services for its global enterprise systems and additional connected applications. Central to these new generation services is the IBM Command Centre that monitors BP’s enterprise systems and applications in real time, using predictive analytics to prevent system outages and data flow failures to maintain premium levels of application availability. IBM has developed its next generation Application Management solution for BP by harnessing the knowledge and insights gained from serving BP and from IBM’s extensive global client base.
“BP’s business requirements are changing and the technologies that will enable us to meet our strategic objectives are evolving even faster,” said Mark Bouzek, vice president of Global Operations and Infrastructure at BP, in a statement. “As a complex global organization, BP needs to continuously improve our business processes and the speed of service we deliver to our employees and external customers.”
End user computing is the face of IT to employees in all corporations. BP wants to provide its employees with greater choice and flexibility in interacting with its service desk to improve first-time problem resolution rates. The IBM solution is focused on providing a personal service that gives an individual choice on how and when to get help. Enhancements will include new services such as live online chat where employees can engage the help desk in real-time and in their local language through a live agent or through BP’s self-help web portal. The self-help portal leverages IBM’s knowledge base, deep analytics of IT incidents and natural-language search capabilities to rapidly deliver the most relevant results and reduce the need for on-site support.
“IBM has consistently met high standards for quality delivery as well as delivering innovation for BP,” said David Marley, managing director for IBM’s business with BP, in a statement. “We have proven that we are the right partner to serve BP with our global presence, relentless focus on service and our drive for continuous improvement.” said. “Looking forward, we will continue to bring together IBM’s integrated services management, research capabilities and innovative technologies to provide BP the right mix of skills and capabilities they need to support their business and drive future growth.”
IBM is providing IT help desk services to BP from its delivery centers in Boulder, Colorado; Greenock, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; Brno, Czech Republic; and Bangalore, India. IBM is providing Applications Management Services from its delivery facilities in Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad India; Houston and Tulsa U.S., UK, Germany and Australia.
IBM Leverages Analytics for Smarter IT Wins Worldwide
Meanwhile, in related news, IBM announced the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) selected IBM to design, build and deliver a new centralized road toll system across Norway. Drawing upon IBM’s traffic system management experience, big data and analytics capabilities, and mobile expertise, the new toll system named ‘AutoPASS Grindgut’ will process more than 470 million vehicle passages per year, accounting for approximately 8 billion Norwegian Krone (NOK) or approximately $1.3 billion U.S. in road user charges.
IBM will use its analytics solutions expertise to integrate roadside traffic data with new and modern user accounts and NPRA’s CRM system. In addition, based on the new system, NPRA will reduce administration costs and enhance customer service by phasing out paper-based transactions — migrating future customer interactions to the web and mobile.
Moreover, IBM MobileFirst will support development of new self service smartphone and tablet apps, delivering improved customer experience, the company said. IBM MobileFirst enables NPRA to continue to introduce new mobile services and make future enhancements to the current system.
Data collection from the roadside installations across the country is based on automatic tag reading, or using automatic license plate recognition software delivered as part of the new central system. Future services may include providing customers with real-time analysis on traffic flow, usage, transport trends and travel patterns. Additionally, enhanced levels of automation based on IBM message-oriented middleware will enable GPS-based tolling as well as other types of roadside services.
“We chose IBM because it had the best all round offer of all the bidders,” said Lars Erik Hauer, director of the NPRA, in a statement.
“IBM has extensive experience with Smarter Traffic Solutions having deployed them in Stockholm, Brisbane and London,” said Arne Norheim, country manager for IBM Norway, in a statement. “Also, IBM researchers have developed the Transportation Management Center (TMC) of the Future with the City of Lyon, France. We enable organizations like NPRA and others to take actionable historical and real-time traffic data, combined with advanced analytics and algorithms, to help model predicted conditions under both normal and incident conditions.”
The AutoPASS Grindgut system will be managed by IBM through Smarter Application Management from IBM’s Global Delivery Centers. This enables scalability for future demand and the open architecture ensures cost effective development, enabling straightforward integration with third-party equipment vendors.
The vendors short-listed were QFree, BT Signaal and Kapsch. The contract was awarded and signed to IBM in December 2013. The new solution will roll out in spring 2015. The contract includes solution design, development and management for at least three years after delivery.
IBM officials said Big Blue has brought complex road user charging and intelligent transportation systems projects worldwide. It has continuously enhanced these solutions by using open standards, cloud, analytics and mobile technology.