Turkish-based industrial group, Zorlu, has signed a 7-year, $25 million outsourcing agreement with IBM. IBM will take over Zorlu's IT infrastructure to bring about an expected 30 percent cost savings.

Under the agreement, IBM will manage Zorlu's server infrastructure, networks and manufacturing software, migrating systems to IBM solutions. In adddition, IBM will provide SAP operations, end-user support, network management services, data center operations management and hosting services.

Hamza Cihan Sari, Zorlu Holding CIO, said Zorlu is one of the most innovative groups in terms of technology and efficiency. Sari added, "Vestel, a Zorlu company, is developing many new technologies, mainly consumer electronics. Similarly, Zorlu Textile Group, Denizbank and Zorlu Energy Group are leading companies of their segments in terms of technology. This is an efficient way to manage our IT operations with the IBM team which has experience both in Turkey and globally,"

Hüseyin Kiziltay, General Manager at IBM Turkey, said, "Many top companies like Zorlu are choosing to outsource their non-core functions to improve their competitiveness in the market. IBM's global know-how across different sectors, combined with innovative technology helps us better understand our customers' needs. This way we can combine products, services and business consultancy as a package that will boost their business performance through improved efficiency."

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