ISM Canada -- IBM Services Subsidiary signs $36 Million deal with Farm Credit Canada

Regina, SK,  October 20, 2006

IBM (NYSE: IBM) services subsidiary ISM Canada has signed a $36-million, five-year renewal agreement with Farm Credit Canada to provide a full range of infrastructure services.

The new agreement between FCC and ISM Canada extends the relationship between the companies with infrastructure services, system maintenance, storage, back-up and recovery, mainframe and server upgrades, and server consolidation. The services apply across all FCC platforms, including mainframe, midrange, and Windows-based Intel servers.

"We were seeking to better align the relationship with ISM to support the strategic direction of Information Technology," said Paul MacDonald, senior vice-president and chief information officer, Farm Credit Canada. "The renewed relationship and contract signals a clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve--making it easy for FCC employees to consistently deliver an extraordinary experience to our customers."

The agreement also allows for improved management of the services covered by the contract, and includes enhanced monitoring and reporting for server, storage, and network management.

"FCC will receive faster recognition, diagnosis and resolution of any issues or problems that may arise," said Dan McMurtry, president and chief executive officer, ISM Canada. "With ISM Canada's services and support, FCC plans to enhance their end-user experience and develop a strategic, high-performance IT infrastructure."

For more information please contact:

Melody Gaukel, Ketchum Public Relations, IBM Canada (416) 544-4906, mgaukel@ca.ibm.com
Anne Mowat, ISM Canada, (306)337-5747, mowat@ca.ibm.com
Tim Kydd, Farm Credit Canada, (306) 780-3486, Tim.Kydd@fcc-fac.ca