BT nets $100 million BAT networking deal
British company to manage the global wide area network infrastructure for tobacco giants
By Antony Savvas | Computerworld UK | Published 12:43, 08 October 12
British American Tobacco (BAT) has signed a global networking managed service deal with BT worth $100 million (£62 million).
BT will manage the global wide area network infrastructure for BAT, including remote access, network security and third-party supplier management across nearly 1,000 sites in 119 countries.
BT will also deliver a high performance IP-based network, allowing BAT to prioritise different types of traffic according to its business needs and reduce the total cost of ownership of its network, said BAT.
Phil Colman, CIO for BAT, said: "We were impressed with BT's extensive global network, its ability to improve services continuously through innovation, and its in-country resources, particularly in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions."
Earlier this year BAT signed a seven-year €160 million (£132 million) cloud-based SAP business software deal with Deutsche Telekom's IT subsidiary T-Systems.
BAT uses SAP systems to operate its businesses around the world and is investing in a consolidation programme that will culminate in a single instance of SAP operating in 65 global markets by 2016.
The SAP cloud contract and the one signed with BT will help BAT support its 200-plus brand portfolio, including Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.
