IBM and Abertis have signed a new global agreement for five years to modernize the group’s technological infrastructure. The collaboration includes migrations to SAP S/4HANA, with the aim of improving the scalability, reliability and user experience of the system in several countries. The objective is to increase digitalization in five subsidiaries of the group, modernizing the infrastructures and systems that process millions of daily transactions, and improving the user experience on an international scale.
This new agreement continues more than a decade of collaboration and supports the digital transformation of Abertis, one of the main highway operators globally, with countless infrastructures present in Europe, America and Asia, whose technological infrastructure is key to its operations.
At the same time, it also contemplates the comprehensive evolution of the systems that support the group’s operation and its digital infrastructure, including everything from user management to the processing of large volumes of transactions and incident management. These systems require high levels of reliability, security and performance, regardless of the infrastructure on which they are deployed, the operational scale or the complexity of each environment.
Within the framework of the agreement, IBM will support Abertis in the modernization of its SAP S/4HANA technology platform, strengthening the group’s technological infrastructure, which will allow:
- Increase flexibility and adapt to different operating models
- Improve scalability to handle increasing transaction volumes within your infrastructure
- Incorporate advanced analytics capabilities in near real time
- Lay the foundations to incorporate new services linked to mobility supported by modern infrastructure
Where mobility becomes a system
Given the growing pressure on infrastructure, with more traffic, increasingly diverse operating models and more demanding users, having common, scalable and reliable systems supported by a solid infrastructure is a key factor for large companies that operate in several countries.
The five-year agreement with IBM establishes a common technological framework that standardizes the digital infrastructure in the different countries in which Abertis operates, including Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Chile and Puerto Rico, with options to extend it to other markets, mainly in Europe and America. This international approach is supported by a shared technological infrastructure, adaptable to different regulations and that reinforces the efficiency and scalability of the business.
Governance and execution
IBM Consulting will provide consulting, implementation and technology management services, and will work with Abertis’ IT and business teams to optimize infrastructure under a joint governance model that includes defined success metrics, quality gates and change management to minimize disruptions to business activity.
“At IBM we are seeing how the infrastructure sector is entering a phase in which technology stops being a project and becomes a structural condition,” said José Miguel Rico, Sector Leader, Industry and Distribution at IBM Spain, IBM Consulting. “Agreements like this respond to the need to provide stability, coherence and long-term vision to systems and infrastructure that are critical for daily operations.”
Direct impact on user experience
The modernization of systems is not limited to internal improvement, but also strengthens the user-oriented infrastructure. Within the framework of the agreement, IBM will support Abertis in the development and integration of web portals and mobile applications aimed at the end user.
IBM will provide consulting, implementation and technology management services, and will work with Abertis’ IT and business teams
These solutions, based on a robust infrastructure, facilitate the management of users, vehicles and payment methods, as well as consulting trips and making payments in an agile and secure way, offering a more integrated, transparent and aligned experience with the current expectations of users. At the same time, the solidity of the infrastructure contributes to efficient traffic and charging management, reducing operational frictions and reinforcing the reliability of the service.
“This agreement allows us to make decisions with a long-term perspective and reduce complexity in a very diverse environment. Having a common infrastructure gives us more predictability and more room to focus on business development and the relationship with users,” said Miguel Ángel Medina, CIO of Abertis.
