Managed IT, cloud and recovery services are to be used by one of Scotland’s oldest enterprises to transform its IT infrastructure and align it with 21st century digital needs.
In a strategic ten-year partnership with Sungard, global airline services and logistics supplier John Menzies, will tranfer all of its IT infrastructure into Sungard’s global data centre and cloud infrastructure. The company will also use Sungard’s network management capabilities and managed IT solutions to revamp its IT infrastructure.
Based in Edinburgh, John Menzies was founded in 1833 with today’s revenues amounting to £2 billion. Its aviation arm, Menzies Aviation, is a provider of passenger, ramp and cargo handling services at 144 stations in 31 countries, with over 21,000 staff worldwide.
With the partnership, John Menzies expects to strengthen its IT estate to become more customer-centric.
The company is going to use the IT environment as a foundation for further investment in innovative IT and business systems to create strategic differentiation and enhance operational performance and customer experience.
The company said in a statement that the move is vital in today’s digital age, where customers expect instantaneous services, from flexible and convenient deliveries for online shopping, through to instant updates on travel information.
Under the agreement, Sungard will also take on John Menzies’ IT network and effect a full transformation of its services to cloud-based solutions.
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Work between the two companies has already started, with the first phase focusing on the migration of Menzies’ SAP environment recovery services into Sungard AS’ main UK data centre.
Subsequent phases will include data centre consolidation, enterprise managed services and network managed services.
Steve Rick, SVP of John Menzies, said: "This strategic partnership represents a significant step forward for Menzies, and provides a new platform for further development and innovation. Sungard’s IT solutions provides us with a cost effective way to scale up to meet our business demands, and the consultancy we receive provides a high return on investment.
"We are confident that this joint programme will support our continued focus on improving our customers’ experience, and we are delighted to work with a global partner with an excellent track record for IT excellence and strategy."
With many companies now updating their IT estates by venturing into the cloud on top of their legacy systems, Sungard has seen some fall prey to complexity, which in turn is stifling innovation, according to Keith Tilley, EVP for global sales and customer services management for Sungard.
He said: "However our recent research into this issue found that more than half of businesses saw great successes from working with a partner; including an increase in business agility, improvements in customer service, and the speed of product developments.
"We are delighted to have the opportunity to work so closely with Menzies to build a model and methodology that will not just deliver, but truly power the mission critical IT systems that support their global customers’ needs."
