Vodafone Essar to outsource IT to IBM India

BANGALORE: Vodafone Essar will outsource all its IT services to IBM India in a deal designed to boost efficiency and further enhance its service to customers, IBM said on Monday.
    
"The five-year agreement aims to ensure scalable, flexible and resilient IT support for the fast-paced roll out of new network infrastructure, keeping pace with the rapid growth in Vodafone Essar's customer base", an IBM statement said.
    
At the same time, the agreement is expected to lead to the faster rollout of more varied services to customers while delivering greater cost efficiencies to Vodafone Essar, the statement added.
    
Under the deal, IBM India will assume responsibility for the management of all Vodafone Essar's IT operations with the exception of network service platforms, spanning both hardware and software.
    
The deal will encompass the management of IT services including the development and maintenance of key applications such as billing, business intelligence and financial systems.
    
IBM India will also manage other internal IT services of Vodafone Essar such as data centre operations and IT help desk including desk site, while supporting key areas such as security and change programmes.
    
Vodafone Essar will continue to retain full strategic control of its IT requirements. To ensure greater flexibility for Vodafone Essar, the deal has been constructed on a risk-sharing basis under the control of stringent service level agreements, it was stated.