Anthem expands agreement with IBM to accelerate its digital transformation

Anthem, one of the Unites States' biggest healthcare companies, has expanded its digital transformation partnership with IBM.

As part of the additional terms bolted on to the pair's original agreement, IBM Services will provide Anthem with enterprise services for its mainframe and data centre server and storage infrastructure management.

They will also work together to create an artificial intelligence (AI) environment which will allow for an automated infrastructure, providing 24/7 digital capabilities that will provide greater access and value for Anthem's 40mn consumers.

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The news demonstrates Anthem's ambition to improve its operational efficiency through technology, three years after signing its first partnership with IBM to support its move to the cloud.

"The collaboration between IBM Services and Anthem has already laid the groundwork to improve healthcare processes and quality," said Martin Jetter, senior vice president, IBM Global Technology Services. "Our latest agreement will accelerate Anthem's growth strategy and continued leadership as one of the largest healthcare insurance companies and provide a solid path to bringing new efficiencies in driving digital transformation."

Anthem's CIO Tim Skeen added: "We are seeing a dynamic change in the healthcare industry, requiring us to be more agile and responsive, utilising advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive better quality and outcomes for consumers.

"Our continued strategic partnership with IBM will help establish a stronger foundation for Anthem to respond to the changing demands in the market, deliver greater quality of services for consumers and help accelerate Anthem's focus on leading the transformation of healthcare to create a more accessible, more affordable, more accountable healthcare system for all Americans."