IBM to provide Infrastructure Support to Bharti Airtel in Africa (16 Countries)
World's fifth largest telecoms company Bharti Airtel gave a 10-year contract to tech giant IBM for providing IT solutions to its employees in 16 countries in Africa, the telco said in a statement on Tuesday.
IBM will provide end-user services to Airtel employees across Africa in French and English apart from help desk oriented support that will enhance employee efficiency and convenience. The company will also implement and maintain standard operating environment, using state of the art platforms, tools and management processes.
Either company did not disclose value of the contract that was signed in the first quarter of 2011.
The consolidation of airtel's helpdesks is expected to bring about greater cost savings and efficiencies through streamlining of the processes for addressing IT operational issues. Airtel currently has over 44 million customers across 16 African operations and is targeting 100 million by 2015.
The announcement builds on the strategic partnership announced by airtel and IBM in late 2010 for the management of the computing technology and services powering Airtel's mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries, it added.
Outsourcing of key operational functions has been key to Bharti airtel's low-cost, high-volume business model that has helped it to build a subscriber base of over 140 million customers in India.
IBM is already managing Bharti IT operations in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and 16 African countries. It will also include an enhanced information enterprise security solution centered on customer data privacy.
Last year, Bharti airtel had acquired Kuwait-based Zain Telecom's African business for USD 10.7 billion. "This agreement enables us to provide the best IT capabilities to our employees with a focus on making innovative mobile solutions available across Africa," Bharti Airtel Chief Executive Officer (International) and Joint Managing Director Manoj Kohli said.
Bharti airtel and IBM's relationship began in 2004, when the telecom operator selected IBM to handle IT and applications for its entire network in India.
"This latest agreement will bring enhanced efficiencies to benefit customers, employees and business partners of Bharti airtel," IBM general manager (growth markets) Bruno Di Leo said.
IBM will provide end-user services to Airtel employees across Africa in French and English apart from help desk oriented support that will enhance employee efficiency and convenience. The company will also implement and maintain standard operating environment, using state of the art platforms, tools and management processes.
Either company did not disclose value of the contract that was signed in the first quarter of 2011.
The consolidation of airtel's helpdesks is expected to bring about greater cost savings and efficiencies through streamlining of the processes for addressing IT operational issues. Airtel currently has over 44 million customers across 16 African operations and is targeting 100 million by 2015.
The announcement builds on the strategic partnership announced by airtel and IBM in late 2010 for the management of the computing technology and services powering Airtel's mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries, it added.
Outsourcing of key operational functions has been key to Bharti airtel's low-cost, high-volume business model that has helped it to build a subscriber base of over 140 million customers in India.
IBM is already managing Bharti IT operations in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and 16 African countries. It will also include an enhanced information enterprise security solution centered on customer data privacy.
Last year, Bharti airtel had acquired Kuwait-based Zain Telecom's African business for USD 10.7 billion. "This agreement enables us to provide the best IT capabilities to our employees with a focus on making innovative mobile solutions available across Africa," Bharti Airtel Chief Executive Officer (International) and Joint Managing Director Manoj Kohli said.
Bharti airtel and IBM's relationship began in 2004, when the telecom operator selected IBM to handle IT and applications for its entire network in India.
"This latest agreement will bring enhanced efficiencies to benefit customers, employees and business partners of Bharti airtel," IBM general manager (growth markets) Bruno Di Leo said.
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