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May 6, 2002 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Viacom, the media giant whose entertainment properties include MTV, Paramount and CBS, announced that it has selected IBM (www.ibm.com/solutions/media) to develop its technology infrastructure for future digital entertainment services.
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The entertainment company signed a seven-year agreement with Big Blue for an undisclosed sum. The deal will allow Viacom to mange its entertainment programming and advertisement across multimedia platforms including the Internet.
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As part of the agreement, Viacom will use a team of business and IT consultants from IBM, who are experts in the media and entertainment industries, to develop new initiatives. Those include digital management of entertainment content, wireless content delivery and computer services delivered on demand.
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Viacom selected IBM due to its expertise in Web-based data storage and Internet-based security.
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“IBM is helping Viacom prepare for the digital entertainment future by enhancing our computing operations, creating cross-enterprise efficiencies and forming new technology initiatives,” said Russ Pillar, president of Viacom’s Digital Media Group. “In addition to significant cost savings, this relationship will bring us competitive advantages while allowing us to focus on the creation and distribution of world-class entertainment content.
