BOSTON, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BT (NYSE: BT) shared its vision of the future of pharma R&D and the application of cloud computing strategies to pharma research at the Bio-IT World Conference & Expo held this week in Boston. This vision reflects BT's strong capabilities and increasing specialization around a number of industry sectors. Many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies rely on BT to support their strategy in terms of globalization, operational effectiveness and innovation cycles.

In a keynote panel session, Yury Rozenman, Global Head of Marketing, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector, BT Global Services, described the pressures currently facing pharma R&D, as well as the opportunities to improve the R&D and innovation process by seamlessly connecting partners, suppliers, biotechs, devices and diagnostic, regulatory agencies and clinical research organizations in an R&D ecosystem.

Rozenman said: "An R&D innovation ecosystem is essentially a networked cooperative: the more participants, the greater value; the more contribution by individual participants, the less expense to use the ecosystem."

Rozenman noted that the benefits of embracing the R&D innovation ecosystem model include increased speed to trial, leading to savings of millions of dollars per drug, reduced costs via out-tasking, and more effective collaboration between industry players and partners, leading to improved research productivity. The differentiator is the ability to integrate not just data and applications but the human resources of the global R&D pharma community.

Leading a session on cloud computing at the same event, Neil Lock, IT Services Program Director, BT Global Services, examined the practical aspects of cloud computing as it relates to pharma R&D.

Lock said: "Much of the debate, hype and headlines about cloud computing focuses on technology rather than benefits.  And frankly, many are suffering from cloud fatigue.  Pharma organizations want to realize the benefits of cloud computing, but they first need to get beyond the fog of confusion surrounding cloud terminology, focus on deliverable business results and look at what they really have to do to make cloud solutions work for them."

Lock offered real-world examples of how migrating to cloud applications has led to greater flexibility, more reliable services, reduced financial risk, and lower costs.  Lock also discussed the evolution to "smart communities," which describes the way in which customers, software vendors and service providers need to work together and collaborate to deliver real value from IT Investments made.

Bas Burger, President, Global Commerce, BT Global Services said: "The vision we shared this week in Boston demonstrates how the R&D efforts of pharmaceutical companies can benefit from BT's industry focused assets in product portfolio, solution designs and infrastructure as well as from our sector-specific customer management and service teams. By focusing on the pharmaceutical sector's unique needs, and offering customers access to teams with decades of experience solving problems in their sector, BT is seen as a reliable partner. This is about specialist people, portfolio and intellectual property, embedded throughout our business. Our customers can leverage many of our market leading assets. We have been serving some of the world's biggest brands in this industry for many years, and have a track record of helping them thrive."

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.

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

SOURCE BT