IBM contract supports Columbia Pipeline Group

IBM has signed a technology agreement, worth approximately US$180 million, to support Columbia Pipeline Group’s (CPG) growth. The agreement is a five-year IT services agreement including cloud, mobile, analytics and security technologies.

Columbia Pipeline Group operating as an independent business

On 1 July, CPG completed the separation of its natural gas pipeline, midstream and storage business from energy infrastructure company, NiSource Inc. As a stand-alone independent company, CPG is expanding its operations to serve customers and markets. Its net asset investments are expected to grow from approximately US$4.6 billion in 2015 to US$13.5 billion by 2020.

IBM will deliver a range of services to provide the technology infrastructure CPG requires to operate as an independent business and support its growth plans. Under the technology agreement, BM will move CPG's IT infrastructure and business applications – human resources, billing and finance, pipeline operations and IT management – from NiSource's data centres and into a private cloud in an IBM data centre. From the centre, IBM will separate CPG's networks from NiSource and manage its integrated IT environment.

The technology will utilise IBM's QRadar Security Intelligence Platform. This will provide a unified structure for integrating security information with event management, log management, anomaly detection, incident forensics and configuration and vulnerability management.

Strong enterprise technology support

Philip Guido, General Manager, IBM Global Technology Services, North America commented: "As a premier energy company executing on a significant infrastructure investment programme, CPG requires an enterprise technology strategy that's as forward-thinking and progressive as its business strategy."

Bob Skaggs, CEO for CPG said: "IBM has been a long-time technology partner for NiSource, providing solutions and services that have helped that company become an energy leader in the US. As an independent business, we are counting on IBM to help provide the continued strong enterprise technology support CPG needs."

Edited from source by Elizabeth Corner

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/contracts-and-tenders/13072015/ibm-contract-supports-columbia-pipeline-group/