IBM Secures $740 Mln Deal to Upgrade Australian Gov't Data Security with Blockchain

Blockchain integration grows more prolific, as companies, educational institutes, and governments realize its solutions to various inefficiencies.

IBM signed an a $1 billion deal with the Australian government to upgrade data security systems using blockchain technology.

International Business Machines Corp. signed a five-year contract to act as central technology partner of the Australian government, Bloomberg reports July 5, 2018.

Through a $740 million deal, IBM will provide technology services - including blockchain, AI, and automation - to the defense and home affairs departments of the Australian government.

"Enables citizens across the commonwealth to have access across multiple agencies to the technology that they need, many of those new technologies across AI, blockchain [with] a lot of focus on security."

IBM's partnership emphasizes data security for Australian citizens through the implementation of its proprietary distributed ledger technology, which ensures immutability and improved encryption of information storage and transfer.

According to Green, the five-year contract is estimated to provide $100 million in Australian taxpayer savings and propel the nation into the "Top three of digital governments in the world."

Following a 2016 series of distributed denial of service attacks to the Australian national census, IBM is making its way back into the government's good graces with this new partnership.

Reported on May 22, the Australian Digital Transformation Agency already allocated a $700,000 budget for blockchain research.

According to DTA Chief Digital Officer Peter Alexander, the Australian government sought out blockchain solutions for "Settlement of trades, cargo management and even the providence of open data to ensure that it is accurate."