No more Mr. Nice Guy seems to be the new theme song for IBM (NYSE: IBM) when it comes to lawsuits.

After responding aggressively to recent lawsuits filed by an investor over the NSA spy scandal and tire giant Bridgestone, IBM is demonstrating quite clearly it is tired of being the “fall guy.” Under attack by the governor of Minnesota over a contract flap there, IBM says it has already solved many of the problems and is “just one of several subcontractors.”

“Dayton blames tech vendor IBM Curam for many of MNsure’s problems,” reported James Nord in the MinnPost on Jan. 3 about Gov. Mark Dayton and complaints regarding Minnesota’s troubled healthcare exchange launch.

“Problems with the product have ‘seriously hindered Minnesotans’ abilities to purchase health insurance or apply for public health care programs,” the governor wrote, according to MinnPost.

In a letter sent to IBM CEO Ginny Rometty on Dec. 13 and obtained by MinnPost, the governor said:

“Your product has not delivered promised functionality and has seriously hindered Minnesotans’ abilities to purchase health insurance or apply for public health care programs through MNsure. I request that you immediately deploy whatever people or resources are needed to correct the defects in your product that are preventing Minnesotans from obtaining health insurance through MNsure.”

Not so fast, says IBM.

Big Blue Fires Back

IBM, which employs some 9.500 people across North Carolina, provided the following response to Dayton’s complaints at the request of WRALTechWire:

“The majority of concerns with the Curam software that were expressed by Governor Dayton three weeks ago have been addressed. These are not the only issues related to the performance of the MNSure system. IBM is just one of several subcontractors working on this project. The prime contractor, Maximus, Inc, has overall responsibility for the MNsure system including integration and testing of all the components prior to October 1. IBM continues to work closely with the other suppliers and the State of Minnesota to make MNsure a more positive experience for Minnesota citizens. As an example, the percent of suspended applications for coverage decreased by two thirds between mid-December and early January and the system is now handling cases at over a 95% daily success rate.

“To sustain the progress, we are providing on-site services and technical resources beyond the scope of IBM’s contractual responsibilities to assist the State in resolving the remaining issues as quickly as possible. IBM Senior Vice President for Software Solutions, Mike Rhodin, has made this project a priority and has been in regular contact with Governor Dayton and the MNSure leaders. Although our original role on this project was limited, we are bringing the full resources and capabilities of IBM to the State because of the importance of the success of the project.”

More Evidence

A followup story from MinnPost, meanwhile, shows that vendors shouldn’t be blamed alone for what has happened.

“Dayton blames vendors, but state had direct role in MNsure missteps,” the report’s headline reads.

“Newly released contract documents suggest the state and MNsure leaders had a more direct role in the health exchange’s many missteps than they have publicly acknowledged,” wrote reporter Nord.

While the Minnesota story continues to unfold, one fact is clear:

IBM is through being a punching bag when it comes to suits.

In November, Big Blue filed an extensive rebuttal of complaints filed by Bridgestone.

And in December an investor lawsuit related to the unfolding NSA spying scandal triggered vociferous responses.

[IBM ARCHIVE: Check out more than a decade of IBM stories as reported in WRALTechWire.]