BT Helps Unilever Touch the Lives of Two Billion People Every Day

LONDON, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- BT has been awarded an extension, worth around an additional $220 million, to its outsourcing contract with Unilever. The new deal will see BT accelerating technology innovation in services such as unified communications, messaging, supply chain, wireless technology and agile working in over 100 countries over the next four years.

BT currently supports services across Unilever's three operating regions.  The scope of the service includes the design, management and operation of a secure fully integrated end-to-end IT networking infrastructure.  BT is responsible for ensuring that the service helps enable Unilever to operate in all its markets, supporting its employees, consumers, customers, partners and suppliers. This service covers an increasingly integrated platform delivering data, voice, video and mobility services to around 1,000 sites.

The new contract further cements this truly global relationship providing services supporting Unilever's quickening pace of innovation, building on joint investment and learning to deliver innovation into the future. The emphasis will be on leveraging BT's global innovation and development capabilities with practitioners sharing their knowledge of people, processes and developing technologies. The contract will also continue to help Unilever deliver its new supply chain applications.

Jeff Kelly, CEO of BT Global Services, said: "We are delighted that Unilever has chosen to extend its contract with BT. They are one of our largest customers in an important market for us.

"Our primary goal is to be a world class partner to them and help and support them achieve their ambitious transformation and growth plans in the coming years.  Our aim is to deliver outstanding customer service and provide innovative propositions that will help Unilever's business improve efficiency, drive out costs and deliver market leading brands to their customers and consumers."

Pascal Visee, Chief Enterprise Support Officer, Unilever, said: "Unilever products touch the lives of over two billion people every day and our ambition is to double our business whilst reducing environmental impact. BT is a trusted partner whose high quality and robust services can help us realise that ambition."

The original contract, announced in November 2002 and worth around $1.3 billion was the first comprehensive global telecommunications outsource contract ever undertaken by BT and is one of BT's largest global deals. By working in partnership, BT and Unilever are in the process of transforming Unilever's infrastructure into one of the most modern corporate networks in the world. When the original contract was signed it was one of the largest telecommunications outsourcing contract in UK corporate history.

Notes to Editors

BT’s project teams are delivering around 70 projects a month for Unilever. Projects typically range in size and scale from simple equipment deliveries right up to the most complex global deployments of new technologies. Contract highlights included: supporting Unilever relocations by implementing new telecoms infrastructure at major new buildings in Warsaw, Hamburg, Sao Paulo, as well as new Unilever R&D centre in China; MPLS deployments in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Canada, US, and across Europe; and setting up an Agile Workspace at Unilever's Englewood Cliffs office near New York.

BT Global Services was rated the “global leader of global leaders” in the Enterprise Strategy Scorecard published by Ovum in September 2009 and was ranked a leader in Forrester’s assessment of the European WAN services market in April 2010. BT Global Services was also positioned by IDC as one of the 4 leading players in the worldwide MNC telecommunications services market in IDC’s inaugural vendor Marketscape in March 2010.

Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in more than 170 countries.  Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services.  BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. In the year ended 31 March 2010, BT Group's revenue was 20,911 million pounds Sterling. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.  BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.  For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt.

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

We are one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries.  Our portfolio includes some of the world's best known and most loved brands including eleven 1 billion euro brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate.  The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Hellmann's, Wall's ice cream, Flora/Becel, Dove, Axe/Lynx, Surf and Cif.

We have around 163,000 employees in approaching 100 countries, and generated annual sales of 40 billion euro in 2009.  For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

SOURCE BT