ARMONK, NY and BRENTWOOD, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 08/05/15 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO) , the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States, today announced a partnership to revamp and migrate the company's online retail operation to IBM to provide Tractor Supply customers with an easier way to connect, browse and shop for goods and services online.

At the heart of the solution is a completely redesigned TractorSupply.com which provides optimal viewing across all devices, easier integration with social media pages, and a simplified check-out process. Behind the scenes, the company migrated the entire platform to a new IBM Cloud for greater overall business performance.

"At Tractor Supply Company, we are committed to deepening the relationships we have with our customers, and the newly redesigned TractorSupply.com website allows us to do that in an impactful way," said Rob Mills, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Tractor Supply Company. "IBM Cloud is more agile and has management capabilities that let us respond quickly to market and individual customer needs, the direct result of which is a better customer experience."

Key to the infrastructure overhaul was the migration of the website, which was built on IBM Commerce, from a Software-as-a-Service platform delivered through two distinct partners, to IBM Cloud. With the new Infrastructure-as-a-Service architecture, Tractor Supply Company gains improved overall system performance and the ability to scale quickly based on market demands, and greater operational visibility.

"By melding innovative technologies with open cloud standards to create solutions that work across private, public and hybrid cloud environments, IBM is helping clients around the globe realize their digital transformations" said Jim Comfort, General Manager, Cloud Services, IBM. "It's a strategic approach that can improve overall business performance."

Other new features of TractorSupply.com include simplified categories to make shopping and browsing more intuitive, an enhanced store locator capability, easier social integration and new product review features. The emphasis of all these improvements is to build a comprehensive online experience that ties together content, community and commerce.

Additionally, the website redesign and infrastructure has laid a foundation for enhancements to be made in the future, by creating easier ways to quickly add on new features and improve functionality, thus allowing Tractor Supply Company to easily adapt to the ever-changing needs of the customer.

For more information on Tractor Supply Company, and to view and experience the new website, please visit www.tractorsupply.com.

About Tractor Supply Company
 Founded in 1938, Tractor Supply Company operates 1,438 stores in 49 states. The company's stores are focused on supplying the lifestyle needs of recreational farmers and ranchers and others who enjoy the rural lifestyle, as well as tradesmen and small businesses. Stores are located primarily in towns outlying major metropolitan markets and in rural communities. The Company offers the following comprehensive selection of merchandise: (1) equine, livestock, pet and small animal products, including items necessary for their health, care, growth and containment; (2) hardware, truck, towing and tool products; (3) seasonal products, including lawn and garden items, power equipment, gifts and toys; (4) work/recreational clothing and footwear; and (5) maintenance products for agricultural and rural use.

About IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud offers the industry's largest portfolio of software, services, datacenter solutions and consulting for private, public and hybrid cloud environments. Total revenue for IBM Cloud was $8.7 billion, for the second quarter, ending June 30, 2015, $4.5 billion of which was attributed to XaaS. From IBM's Bluemix, Platform as a Service, to the IBM MobileFirst mobile application development platform, to the company's global network of IBM SoftLayer datacenters, and much more, IBM is helping organizations large and small adopt, manage, scale and benefit from open cloud technologies.

Contact Information
Brittany Rae Fraser
ICR for Tractor Supply Company
(646) 277-1231
brittanyrae.fraser@icrinc.com

Mike Zimmerman
IBM Media Relations
(914) 766-4935
mrzimmerman@us.ibm.com

Source: Tractor Supply Company and IBM

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