Some 166 InBev employees will transfer to the suppliers as part of the initiative, through which the brewer is aiming to improve its profitability at an EBITDA level of between 20m euros ($23.9m) and 25m euros ($29.9m) annually. IBM won a 225m-euro ($271.9m) deal to manage InBev’s computing infrastructure including data centers, workstations, and servers. InBev also awarded BT’s Global Services division a 175m-euro ($211.2m) deal to manage its existing network infrastructure and migrate it to BT’s IP platform in more than 25 countries.
BT will also manage local area networks for 640 InBev sites and 24,000 users, and provide internet access to the client’s four global data centers. The telco will also will manage InBev’s voice infrastructure, including telephone lines, equipment, and mobile telephony, and provide video conferencing and helpdesk services.
One of the interesting features of this contract is that BT is working alongside IBM Global Services, despite BT having a formal alliance with IBM rival HP Services through which the two companies explore potential collaborations on IT and network services client engagements.
Andy Green, head of BT Global Services said earlier this week that the company is as likely to collaborate with the likes of IBM, Accentur, and Capgemini as it is to compete against them, given the growing trend in the industry for consortium bids.
The contract also represents IBM’s second big win in the brewing sector in two days. On Thursday, the company announced a seven-year deal to run the IT infrastructure of Danish company Carlsberg for 12 of its European subsidiaries.
