Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)Â has signed a five-year, $3.8 million contract with IBM to support its global financial system, which is in addition to the $ 4.3 million signed between the two companies in 2006.

The global financial system provides more than 2,300 users real-time access to SPE financial information.

IBM Global Business Services will provide application management services for SPE's SAP global financial applications, leveraging IBM's India-based global delivery capabilities. IBM will also provide operation and support services from the IBM support centres in India.

"IBM offers us a low-cost and high-quality support model for the global SAP skills that we require. We've brought in global reinforcements to augment our SPE staff, have substantially reduced our support costs, and redeployed our IT and finance staff on high-value activities," elucidates David Hendler, chief financial officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Steven Abraham, IBM Global Business Services worldwide leader for Media and Entertainment, believes, "IBM Global Business Services' seamless, efficient and cost-effective approach to infrastructure support enables SPE to focus its resources on core business priorities."