Novell wins BT directory and ID contract

BT has turned to Novell for a companywide identity management and directory programme with the potential to save the telco "tens of millions of pounds" over its lifetime.

While BT works with other vendors with directory offerings such as Microsoft and Sun, Novell was chosen in a process that ran for 18 months from August 2002.

Charles Hepworth, programme manager at BT Exact, told silicon.com that the rollout is part of a 'one IT' approach within a wider 'one BT' strategy.

"Things all too often seem to happen in isolation in a very big organisation," he said.

Over 100,000 BT full-time employees, agency staff and eventually partners "on the other side of the firewall" will get unique nine-digit ID numbers.

There will also be management, using a meta-directory, of all the company's physical IT assets and intangible assets such as data and intellectual property.

One aim will be combining all that and roles-based intelligence enabled by the directory so that, for example, when a member of staff leaves or moves to another department all that person's IT, log-ins, passwords and so on can be changed or rendered useless at the press of a button.

Hepworth said he reports to the CIO's office and had to "have a business case and constantly track [its] benefits".

"It will save millions, tens of millions when we get to the end of the journey," he said. No precise sum has been given for the contract.

BT worked with Cambridge Technology Partners, part of Novell, before the contract went out to tender. It claimed no conflict, despite Novell at that stage being a potential supplier, and now it has a ongoing professional services contract.