IBM to Power "Smarter Citizens" Cloud in China with System z

BEIJING and ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has been selected by Yi Lian Zhong Information Technology (YLZ), a leading provider of information services in China, to build a cloud computing platform that will improve the life of citizens in China via an online portal for a variety of social services.  

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With an IBM System z mainframe running Linux as the foundation, YLZ will expand its existing services available in Fujian Province to seven more Chinese provinces. This will allow them to construct a citizen livelihood service information network covering a population of 300 million. YLZ selected System z for its reliability, security and cost effectiveness. Specifically, the mainframe's ability to scale easily will help YLZ manage the unpredictable nature of transaction peaks and valleys without incurring additional costs.  

IBM and YLZ's new cloud platform will connect various networks of urban and rural residents, government departments, social service providers, medical institutions, corporate and public organizations, and vocational schools. The project is aimed to help meet the government's 12th five-year-plan focused on developing programs to improve the citizen's overall well-being.

The new cloud services platform will enable the sharing of public resources and information while supporting service integration, improving government efficiency and ensuring effective administration of citizen services.

New kiosks will be installed across selected communities at civic centers, hospitals, banks, and shopping malls. Participants will be able to swipe their social insurance identity cards, which are already connected to banks, to access the additional services offered by various government departments. They can also use their ID cards to settle service payments. YLZ and IBM will integrate the data and business application through the cloud of all participating organizations, allowing the residents in the rural areas to access the same services as residents in cities.

Now, citizens will be able to access a multitude of services from one portal, including:

• Payment of social insurance contributions and utilities, account transfers, medical fee reimbursements, and medical and unemployment benefits.
• Access to information about job and training opportunities so that employers can seek out qualified applicants for local positions.
• Support services for scheduling clinical appointments, self-service medical fee settlement, case referral and group diagnosis.
• Access to farming subsidies, including farmer-based subsistence allowances, seed subsidies and fuel subsidies for rural vehicles.
• Support for distributing aid for disabled people, verifying of low-cost housing applications and providing education-related services.

About Yi Lian Zhong Information Technology (YLZ)

Founded in 2000, YLZ is an information service provider and application software vendor focused on livelihood service solutions for public benefit programs in China.  For more information, visit http://s3.ylzinfo.com:8085/.

About IBM Cloud Computing

IBM has helped thousands of clients adopt cloud models and manages millions of cloud based transactions every day. IBM assists clients in areas as diverse as banking, communications, healthcare and government to build their own clouds or securely tap into IBM cloud-based business and infrastructure services. IBM is unique in bringing together key cloud technologies, deep process knowledge, a broad portfolio of cloud solutions, and a network of global delivery centers. For more information about IBM cloud solutions, visit www.ibm.com/smartcloud.

For more information about IBM System z, visit www.ibm.com/systems/z/.

For more information about IBM's smarter computing initiative, visit www-03.ibm.com/systems/data/flash/smartercomputing/index.html.

SOURCE IBM