BT and Unilever ink E1bn outsourcing deal

NEWS BT has today signed a E1bn outsourcing deal with consumer goods giant Unilever. The seven-year contract will see BT manage and develop the company's global communications infrastructure. Under the terms of the deal BT will deliver voice, data and mobile services, and develop new technologies on behalf of Unilever. Unilever hopes to cut costs and will also benefit from reducing its supplier base to one single partner. The contract builds on an existing relationship between Unilever and BT's Syntegra systems integration business, which already provides advanced messaging and security services to Unilever. The service will be managed from five regional operating centres including BT's UK facility in West Malling, Kent.