ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dell today announced that WellPoint, Inc., the nation's largest health benefits company by medical membership, has signed a five-year outsourcing agreement for field support and help desk services through Dell Global Services. Through this relationship with Dell, WellPoint will continue to focus on the development of strategic business initiatives and future technology planning and innovation that drive business results, rather than managing IT support.

The News:

• Through Dell ProManage services, Dell will provide technical support to nearly all WellPoint employees in more than 200 U.S. locations as well as its mobile work force. WellPoint employees can now experience a consistent support program across all locations while Dell resolves technical issues in a timely manner.
• WellPoint selected Dell after conducting an extensive search of the leading service providers in the IT industry. Dell delivered outstanding service and value to a fraction of the WellPoint enterprise dating back to 2008. Based on Dell's ability to drive results within a defined services engagement, WellPoint decided that Dell best met its long-term needs after exploring relationships with several other IT services providers.
• Dell customized WellPoint's help desk and field support services to help efficiently manage and solve any issues employees have with their desktop or notebook systems. Dell has plans to integrate proactive tools and process innovation to focus on self-service initiatives, leading to year-over-year savings and performance improvement.
• WellPoint believes that extending Dell managed service throughout the organization will provide greater operational efficiency and consistency of service performance and end user experience.
• Dell Global Services help customers significantly reduce the long-term operating expense of deploying, running and managing their IT infrastructure.

Dell Managed Services:

• Dell's approach to IT consulting, management and support services differs from some competitors' costly, long-term and people-intensive model. Dell offers a portfolio of Dell ProManage services that automate, centrally configure, deploy and manage hardware and software in customer datacenter and end-user environments.
• Customers and partners have the option to have Dell fully-manage or only partially-manage their environment, leading to more flexible options that customers can turn on and turn off as business needs dictate.
• Flexibility was a key factor in WellPoint's decision to work with Dell over competitors. Dell's services delivery model has the flexibility to scale and adjust service levels quickly based on WellPoint's business needs.

Quotes:

"Technology and its deployment and management should help customers innovate and become more competitive, not stand in the way of business progress. By allowing Dell to manage its end-user IT support, WellPoint can unlock time and money to focus on serving its customer base and growing its business." - Don Mann, vice president and general manager, Global Services at Dell.

"WellPoint's goal is to simplify the connection between health, care and value by helping members achieve better care outcomes and cost savings. Our partnership with Dell for IT services will allow us to spend more time focusing on our core competencies while meeting and exceeding the desktop and field service needs of our employees." - Lori Beer, executive vice president and chief information officer for WellPoint, Inc.

About Dell

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Dell serves those who serve with next generation infrastructure for healthcare.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint is committed to improving the lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities by simplifying the connection between health, care and value. Our goal is to help shape the impact each health care decision has on individuals, the health care system at-large, and our communities. WellPoint's more than 42,000 associates work every day to help create the best health care value for our customers. Through collaborations with providers and with innovative programs, WellPoint's affiliated health plans reward healthy lifestyles and quality, safe and effective care. As the nation's largest health benefits company, with approximately 35 million members in its affiliated health plans, WellPoint is at the center of the health care system. This position provides us with the relationships and insights needed to help create affordable and actionable solutions that improve health care.


As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.



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Source: Dell Inc.