FirstGroup nets $30m Atos deal to revamp IT network

Published on Tuesday 22 February 2011 21:40

Aberdeen based transport operator FirstGroup yesterday signed a $30 million (£18.5m) deal with IT company Atos Origin to make the bus and train firm's computer systems globally compatible.

Under the arrangement, Atos will provide a range of services, including the transformation of First's North American data centre to create a single way of managing its technology.

The five-year deal is expected to deliver cost savings, minimise risk and provide the commercial, financial and technical flexibility to support First's business plans.

Craig Wallace, FirstGroup's IT director, said: "Atos Origin delivered an excellent proposal, which complements our plans to improve and standardise our IT practices."

The announcement follows the successful outsourcing of First's UK data centres to Atos last year in a 10m deal. Atos Origin in Scotland also provides a number of services to First including rail operating systems, real-time management and deployment of vehicles and staff as well as ticketing solutions and customer information systems.

The international IT company has more than 750 employees in Scotland with main offices situated in Livingston, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Paul Stewart, chief executive of Atos Origin North America, said: "This is an important and strategic deal for Atos Origin, which showcases our global expertise.

"We are absolutely committed to deliver world-class service to FirstGroup and our experts in the US and the UK will work together to ensure a smooth transition. The goal is to deliver real business benefits in the short term."

The agreement comes as global computing giant IBM announced it had upgraded computers at Dundee City Council, installing a new mainframe server and storage systems. The project, expected to deliver savings, is already up and running.