Cable & Wireless has signed a €377m contract with insurance group Aviva to provide a range of services including voice over IP (VoIP) and wide area networks (WANs).
Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia and US (EAU) will provide a full communications suite, comprising 72 separate services such as voice telephony, data, LANs, WANs and international services, to Aviva’s 35,000 staff based in the UK, Ireland and India.
The contract continues Cable & Wireless’ 12-year relationship with Aviva, the world’s fifth-largest insurance firm.
Cable & Wireless will continue to manage Aviva’s existing communications infrastructure, as well as introducing services such as IP telephony and IP contact centre services, managed BlackBerry services and advanced speech-recognition technology across Aviva sites in the UK and Ireland.
In total, the network will comprise over 1000 sites, with 57,000 individual telephone points and 74,000 data points. In Ireland, this includes more than 20 sites and several hundred users.
Aviva will also further utilise Cable & Wireless’ well-established infrastructure and experience in India under the contract. Cable & Wireless will continue to manage 6000 call centre seats in India, including providing onsite support staff.
“This is an excellent win for Cable & Wireless, and a tangible vote of support in our service and reliability,” commented Jim Marsh, CEO, Cable & Wireless EAU. “Working with the UK’s largest insurance group is a testament to our competitiveness among enterprise customers, where our strong focus on customer service is paying dividends. We look forward to continuing a great relationship with Aviva.”
“This contract represents a significant commitment on both sides to ensure cost-effective service against the backdrop of a highly competitive marketplace,” said Igal Mayer, CEO, Norwich Union Insurance. “We currently enjoy a healthy, open and honest working relationship with Cable & Wireless and we are looking forward to building on this over the coming years.”
By Niall Byrne
