HBOS outsources desktop services

Financial services company HBOS has outsourced the management of 35,000 desktops to Computacenter in an eight-figure deal running over three years.

The finance giant, formed from the merger between the Bank of Scotland and Halifax Group in September 2001, is aiming to reduce costs, improve services and integrate the two separate businesses.

The deal covers desktops at the former head offices of both groups in Edinburgh and West Yorkshire, as well as several call centres and its web-based banking services division.

Brian Roddick, programme delivery manager at HBOS, said in a statement: "Managing a desktop environment is an essential part of an organisation's IT function, but the funds and people needed to do this effectively are increasing all the time."

Desktops are vital to communicate with customers, he added. "It is essential that they are professionally managed and implemented."

Prior to the deal, the finance group used several different suppliers for desktop products and services across the entire group, but chose to consolidate to one. Computacenter formerly had a consultancy and system integration relationship with the Bank of Scotland.

Outsourcing desktop infrastructure management is a strategy currently being adopted in the financial sector.

Last month Barclays Bank signed a seven year deal with IT services company EDS, valued at $350m (£210m). EDS will move Barclays' 41,700 desktop computers to a standardised architecture and manage all aspects of PC infrastructure.

Scott Haddow, a client director at Computacenter, said the financial sector is going through a process of consolidation.

"All the companies in the sector are trying to control costs while improving services. Due to recent mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector as a result of the depressed market, there are integration challenges," he added.