Press Releases

Mitel and a&o unite to deliver enterprise unified communications

a&o achieves Mitel Systems Integrator Partner Accreditation

22 March 2007 - a&o has formed a new agreement with Mitel, the trusted provider of IP communications solutions, to deliver unified communications solutions to UK enterprise customers.

As part of the agreement, Mitel will become a&o UK’s prime vendor for IP communications solutions. The IT services & support provider will have access to Mitel’s full range of enterprise unified communications solutions, further extending its own communications and collaboration portfolio.

a&o has achieved Mitel Systems Integrator Accreditation in the UK; the accreditation programme is a key part of Mitel’s strategy for recruiting a specialist enterprise IT channel capable of delivering high-end unified communications solutions.

Mitel’s unified communications solutions deliver enhanced productivity, reduced costs, increased customer loyalty and deliver new revenue potential.

a&o already supports more than 500,000 desktops on behalf of customers across Europe and has extensive experience of Microsoft’s core technology platforms. This, combined with its experience in designing and deploying complex IT infrastructures and supporting distributed workforces, means a&o is ideally positioned to design and implement unified communications solutions that integrate with Microsoft Live Communications Server and Mitel Live Business Gateway, collaboration software – a key value-add to Mitel’s technology.

“The underlying complexity of corporate IT systems infrastructure and networks often creates a barrier for businesses looking to implement advanced convergence solutions such as unified communications,” said Steve Ball, managing director of a&o UK. “Our core expertise is in simplifying and supporting complex distributed IT environments, so we’re perfectly placed to remove these barriers and implement solutions that enhance workforce productivity and team working. The Mitel partnership is a key strategic step in extending our capabilities and delivering further value to our customers.”

“a&o is the type of specialist partner that we’re looking to recruit to extend our channel reach in the enterprise market for unified communications,” said Graham Bevington, EMEA managing director at Mitel. “Convergence solutions require a deep understanding of IT infrastructure, operations and support. Partnering with a&o is an important milestone in establishing Mitel’s unified communications solution of choice.”

EDS Global Field Services acquired by a&o group

15 November 2006 - UK – Significant emerging players in the IT services industry a&o, today announced the acquisition of EDS’ European Global Field Services businesses.

A definitive decision has been reached between EDS and a&o for the German-based group to acquire the GFS operations in UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Iberia and the Netherlands. Under the terms of the agreement, approximately 3,000 EDS GFS employees will transfer into a&o, increasing its headcount to more than 4,300 and extending the existing geographical reach, portfolio capabilities and client base significantly.

The acquisition represents the beginning of a long-term strategic business relationship between a&o and EDS; ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees. “With this entirely positive business transaction, a&o will become the market leader for technical services in Europe,“ said the a&o group’s Managing Director Michael Müller.

a&o firmly believe that EDS GFS’ highly-qualified service engineers and technical experts will fit well into their established business structure. With a focus on flat hierarchies, a clear orientation towards mid-sized enterprises and focus on efficient cost structures; the goal is to set new benchmarks for service quality. The combined business will be positioned to address the field services requirements of service providers and global outsourcers; and to deliver IT service management and infrastructure services for corporate ICT functions.

“With the acquisition of the EDS GFS, a&o will be able to consistently pursue its strategy of business globalisation and considerable strength will be gained in the respective local markets. However, despite this dynamic growth, we will not neglect the crucial elements of service quality of our existing activities; instead we will penetrate the high-quality service sector by widening our existing product range“, expressed Müller. He continued “To enable us to reach our true potential as a business, it is necessary to ensure process optimization, a competitive cost structure, flexible service levels and a high level of reliability through motivated, skilled service personnel. As an efficient, dynamic organisation, we are perfectly prepared to address these demands, to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers”.

EDS Global Field Services (UK) strengthens Management team with new Client Services Director

23 August 2006 - UK – EDS Global Field Services has appointed Brian Wathen as Client Services Director in a move to strengthen and develop the company’s support services operation. Brian, who will be part of the EDS GFS UK Management Team, is tasked with the successful execution of the Managed Services, Remedial Services, Project Services and Vendor Management offerings.

Wathen brings with him almost 30 years of industry experience and joins EDS GFS from Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA), where he was Director of Global Operations Support. In this multi-functional role, Wathen had responsibility for all aspects of support services delivered to the company’s customer base across diverse geographies.

Previously, Wathen worked at Info’ Products UK as Head of Operations. Wathen’s career spans a range of high-profile IT services positions including key roles at the National Westminster Bank Group and IT reseller, Simmons Magee.

Steve Ball, Operations Director at EDS GFS UK said of Brian Wathen’s appointment: “As EDS GFS moves forwards with its enhanced portfolio and dedication to continuous improvement, I am delighted that Brian will help to shape our future success. He brings with him considerable experience in the IT services industry and his expertise will be put to good use as a key member of the UK management team in further developing the overall customer experience”

EDS Global Field Services (UK) strengthens portfolio with Document Services offering

09 June 2006 - UK – EDS Global Field Services has further enhanced its extensive portfolio with a range of addition services, to include a compelling Document Services offering. The additional services reaffirm EDS GFS’s aim to offer its Clients a fully integrated, total ICT service solution.

Recent Gartner research indicates that Imaging and Printing can account for up to 3% of a company’s revenue turnover, yet only one third of organisations surveyed had an accurate understanding of the precise cost of this core business activity. One of the biggest single drivers behind increases in Imaging and Printing within organisations is the burden of compliance, bringing with it the requirement to maintain accurate and detailed audit trails. Gartner estimates that 15% of an organisation’s overall IT budget in 2006 will be dedicated to compliance, compared with less than 4% in 2004.

In response to this business need, EDS GFS has introduced a complete Document Management solution that encompasses Document Output Management, Optimisation and Support to enable cost control and compliancy. EDS GFS believe that no other Service Integrator currently offers a comparable integrated solution. Adrian Cooper, Portfolio Director, EDS GFS said, “EDS GFS works closely with its Clients to fully understand their business issues. Our Client and industry knowledge prompted us to introduce the Document Management Solution in order to harness the very latest in document output technology, reduce hardware levels and improve efficiency for our Clients.”

n addition to Document Services, the EDS GFS practices are comprised of Network and Security Services and Systems and Storage Services covering a vast complement of solutions and associated professional services and are focused on delivering superior business value by allowing clients to effectively leverage their investment in information technology.

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EDS Global Field Services (UK) appoints new General Manager

15th December August 2005–EDS Global Field Services, one of the foremost providers of IT infrastructure services and solutions in Europe, has appointed Steve Ball as General Manager.

Steve, who has been Acting General Manager since March this year, is responsible for the successful execution of EDS Global Field Services’ strategy in the UK.

Prior to his current role, which is an internal promotion, Steve was Operations Director and then Finance Director at the company, where he has been for five years. Amongst his achievements as Finance Director, Steve successfully managed the transition of $40 million of break fix business in just 18 months.

Louis Frenzel, General Manager EDS GFS EMEA at EDS Global Field Services said of Steve ’s appointment:
“EDS Global Field Services continues to go from strength to strength and I am delighted Steve has taken this key role to shape our future success. He brings with him considerable experience in operations and finance and has an excellent understanding of our business. His drive and determination will be put to very good use in his role as General Manager”

Steve Ball says; “I am delighted to take up the role of General Manager at EDS Global Field Services at such an exciting time in the company’s history and look forward to making a significant contribution to the future success of the business.”

Chris Bamforth has now replaced him as Finance Director at EDS GFS.

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Cheshire County Council & EDS GFS succeed in effective handover of ICT contract

12th December August 2005 – Cheshire County Council today announced the successful and swift handover of their ICT Desktop Support functions to EDS GFS.

This follows the signing in March 2005 of a £15 million seven-year contract to supply Cheshire County Council with managed desk-top services solutions relating to procurement, installation, maintenance and disposal services.

This follows the signing in March 2005 of a £15 million seven-year contract to supply Cheshire County Council with managed desk-top services solutions relating to procurement, installation, maintenance and disposal services.

Stephen Hopson, County ICT Officer at Cheshire County Council says, “The handover of the contract to EDS GFS was smooth. This is in no small part down to the willingness of EDS GFS to work closely with the Council to understand and deliver our requirements.”

The wealth of public sector experience EDS GFS has to offer, combined with a strong commercial proposition, were the main reasons they won the contract, after a process of competitive tender. Hopson says, “EDS GFS had a solid understanding of our overall aims and requirements from the very start but they were never complacent and they took every opportunity to understand the detail of what we are trying to achieve. For the first few months EDS GFS worked with us on-site, quickly developing an in-depth understanding of our specific needs. This also enabled us to establish an excellent rapport with those at EDS GFS who manage our account.”
Cheshire Council has already indicated that although the contract with EDS GFS is in its infancy; effectiveness, service delivery and cost efficiency has already been demonstrated and they are delighted with the progress to date.

Cheshire Council have, for a number of years, taken an innovative approach to delivering their ICT services, ensuring that the pressing demands of their 5,000 users are met in the most effective way possible. EDS GFS are currently working closely with Cheshire Council to identify leading-edge solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Hopson says, “This is a long-term partnership and an iterative process but EDS GFS are already playing a significant role. They are actively involved in our strategic planning meetings and their input has been very helpful.”

Jeremy Taylor, Cheshire County Council Chief Executive Officer, says, “Cheshire County Council is enjoying the benefits of working with EDS GFS. They’ve been working hard to improve efficiency and reduce costs and the impact they have had is clearly visible.”

Steve Ball, Managing Director of EDS GFS, says, “We are delighted to have had such a positive effect on the way Cheshire County Council works and to help them implement their ambitious and wide-ranging ICT solutions in such an effective way.”

About Cheshire County Council: As Cheshire’s largest employer, with a 23,000-strong workforce, the County Council spends almost £1billion per year providing more than 80% of the county’s local authority services, ranging from Education and Highways to Social Services, Libraries and Civil Protection.

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EDS GFS strengthen management team with new sales director

22nd August July 2005 - UK – EDS Global Field Services has appointed Simon Kingston as UK Sales Director in a move to strengthen and develop the Company’s sales operation.

Simon, who will be part of the EDS GFS UK Management Team, is charged with the successful execution of the EMEA sales strategy in the UK and will play a key role in devising the overall sales strategy in order to increase revenue from the MLE market.

Simon brings with him over 18 years industry experience and joins EDS GFS from Computacenter, where he was a Regional Client Director. During this time he had full sales and operational delivery responsibility for the Company’s general commercial clients in London and East England, securing significant and profitable new business.

Previously, Simon worked at the Elcom organisation where he spent eleven successful years. His IT sales career covers an impressive range of high-profile assignments for organisations in sectors as diverse as civil engineering, law, banking, transport and logistics and professional services.

Steve Ball, Operations Director at EDS GFS UK said of Simon Kingston’s appointment: “EDS GFS continues to go from strength to strength and I am delighted that Simon will help to shape our future success. He brings with him considerable experience in IT sales, his drive and determination will be put to very good use as a key member of the UK management team”

Simon Kingston says; “I am extremely pleased to be joining EDS GFS at such an exciting time in the Company’s history and look forward to driving the sales strategy with the help of a dynamic new sales team, towards making a significant contribution to the future success of the business.”

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EDS GFS sign global contract with Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems Inc. has engaged EDS Global Field Services (EDS GFS) to provide hardware maintenance and installation services to Sun and their customers. This deal, is the latest development in an already successful alliance between the two global IT giants.

Under the terms of the deal, EDS GFS will provide customers with multi-vendor, on-site hardware maintenance on Sun’s behalf. This includes the provision of management control and the direction of on-site engineers. EDS GFS will also install hardware. This service covers hardware under warranty, covered systems, or on a per incident basis.

For more than 15 years, Sun and EDS GFS have been working together to provide systems solutions to meet the business goals of their clients. It was a natural fit, therefore, for EDS GFS to partner more closely, enabling Sun to effectively carry forward their international Multi Vendor Strategy. The partnership combines technological expertise with service excellence, delivering maximum value through a truly global footprint.

Nicky Hastings, EDS GFS Partner Manager says, “We are absolutely delighted to be able to further enhance the global skill-set of Sun Microsystems, with whom we’ve successfully worked for many years.” She adds, “Our proven track-record with Sun, combined with our truly global footprint will enable Sun to work within new markets, creating new revenue streams. We’re very excited to be a part of their continued success”

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Alcatel IP Telephony delivers €3m in savings for UK’s Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

5th July 2005 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA AND NYSE: ALA) today announced that Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) in the United Kingdom has more than halved its telephony costs, from €6.69 million to €3.42 million, since its investment in €1.4 million Alcatel IP network in May 2004. These savings have enabled Trafford MBC to make further investments in the delivery of e-government, including electronic planning applications and a customer relationship management system. The installation has also drawn the attention of the Italian Government, which is currently considering Trafford MBC as a blueprint for a forthcoming project designed to migrate one million public sector users to IP Telephony.

The converged voice, video and data network , based on Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise and Alcatel OmniSwitch technology, combines both IP and traditional telephony , linking 250 buildings including schools, hospitals, libraries, independent organisations, trusts, charities, and 4,700 office-based administrative workers. Citizens, councillors and schools have also benefited from the introduction of additional applications, such as video conferencing, which provides multiple channels for interaction and increased e-learning opportunities.

Further advantages of the rollout include a consolidated call-centre that can now deal with 80% of citizen inquiries at the first point of contact, and wireless connectivity for council officers.

“Alcatel’s IP telephony solutions have greatly improved both internal and external communications, maximising cost reduction, with internal network management giving us far greater operational control,” said Mark Gibbison, head of e-government at Trafford MBC. “We now have a consolidated CCTV network over the data infrastructure, which has the potential to reduce crime in schools by 45%, or €1.5 million in real terms, whilst council officers work in a mobile environment in which they can access all data, email and appliances from any council office. We’re also working towards a complete implementation of unified messaging services.”

Among those interested in the success of the Trafford installation is the Centro Nazionale per l’Informatica nella Pubblica Amministrazione (CNIPA), an Italian national public sector IT organisation responsible for the evaluation of technology for government projects. With plans to migrate one million public sector users to IP telephony, CNIPA has short-listed Trafford’s Alcatel installation as an example of a best-practice e-government implementation, hosting representatives of Trafford MBC in March to present to delegates in Rome.

“The tight deadlines for both implementing and integrating the new features made the installation a real challenge to say the least,” added Gibbison. “However, the response from users has been universally positive. We’re on target for 100% electronic service delivery by the end of 2005, and as things stand we’ll see a full return-on-investment within two years.”

Alcatel business partner EDS Global Field Services is supporting the IP infrastructure, following the installation by Alcatel and business partner Freedom Communications, which is also providing training and ongoing technical support.

“The success of the Trafford installation demonstrates that Alcatel’s products are well-equipped to match the requirements of large public sector and e-government projects,” said Graeme Allan, vice president, Northern Europe enterprise solutions activities, Alcatel. “Over the past year we’ve seen significant growth in the e-government area due to the multiple benefits that councils can derive from a converged communications solution.”

About Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC): Trafford Metropolitan Borough lies to the South of the Greater Manchester metropolitan area. It is an area of great diversity and contrasts, which is home to around 220,000 people. The Borough has a rich, vibrant mix of inner city, leafy suburbs and rural communities. Trafford is also home to Trafford Park, the biggest business park in Europe, which employs around 50,000 people. http://www.trafford.gov.uk

About Alcatel: Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks; applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.3 billion in 2004, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.  F or more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com

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EDS GFS sign managed desktop service contract with Cheshire County Council

7th March 2005 - London, UK – EDS Global Field Services today announced a £15 million seven-year contract with Cheshire County Council to supply its managed desktop services solution, which will deliver procurement, maintenance, deskside and disposal services.

EDS GFS’s work with Cheshire Council is a key component of the Council’s innovative approach to outsourcing, developing long-term partnerships to deliver a business led approach to IT. Under the terms of the deal a framework will be put in place, which allows departments within the council to buy customised ICT services from a vetted supplier, depending on the requirements of the individual user unit.

During the life of the Contract, EDS GFS will work with Cheshire County Council towards developing a fully managed desktop service, supporting a growing population of more than 5,000 users and they will be responsible for the supply and maintenance of all of Cheshire County Council’s desktop computer services.

The seven-year contract, won through competitive tender, builds on an existing relationship. In 2002 EDS GFS was awarded the contract to install broadband connectivity for 600 sites throughout the county.

The agreement, which will enable Cheshire County Council to move towards a fully supported desktop service infrastructure, specifically addresses an ongoing issue regarding extending the life of public equipment. Under the terms of the Cheshire contract EDS GFS will meet the County Council’s business and technology needs whilst increasing the average life of existing assets by 25 per cent.

Stephen Hopson, County ICT Officer, at Cheshire County Council, said: “We are pleased to conclude this deal with EDS GFS as it provides the opportunity to explore alternative value added approaches to improving services to the desktop, which satisfy our business aims and future strategies as a Council.”

Peter Gatling, managing director of EDS GFS UK, said: “We are particularly pleased to extend our relationship with Cheshire County Council, who have been assessed as ‘Excellent’ by the Audit Commission. This is a significant forward-looking contract for EDS GFS. This new arrangement will not only provide a cost effective solution but also deliver an exceptionally high quality service.”

About Cheshire County Council

As Cheshire’s largest employer, with a 23,000-strong workforce, the County Council spends almost £1billion per year providing more than 80% of the county’s local authority services, ranging from Education and Highways to Social Services, Libraries and Civil Protection.