HP Enterprise Services said that Ahold, an international group of supermarket companies based in the US and Europe, has extended its existing relationship with HP by signing a new seven-year infrastructure and applications services agreement. The contract extension is designed to reduce the complexity and enhance the efficiency of Ahold’s technology environment.
Under the terms of the agreement, HP will continue to provide management and support services for Ahold’s global data centre environment, which includes mainframes, servers and storage. In addition, it will also implement its business service automation to make server and storage capabilities available. Ahold will use HP’s ProLiant rack servers, StorageWorks XP Disk Arrays as well as HP ProCurve 2610 and 5412 switches.
HP said that it will also provide network services for Ahold’s network that connects its supply chain and distribution with its 3,000 stores, warehouses and office locations across Europe and US. It will continue to manage Ahold’s workplace computing environment for more than 200,000 Ahold associates in Europe and US, and will also migrate employees to its hardware including HP EliteBook 2500, 6900 and 8500 series notebooks and HP dx2400, dc5800, dc7900 series business desktops.
The company said that it will provide applications management for Ahold’s business and administrative applications in the US and will also deliver these services to Ahold from sites in Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, Spain and US that are part of the HP Best Shore global delivery network.
Mike Klaus, vice president and general manager of consumer and transportation industries at HP Enterprise Services, said: “Success in today’s global retailing market requires more than retailing knowledge – it requires a flexible technology foundation to optimize operations, innovate, serve customers and support company growth. Extending our relationship will help Ahold further improve the technology services that support its continued business success.”