Codestone

Category: Support & Managed Services

UK energy giant Centrica is to streamline its corporate computing infrastructure after agreeing a new seven-year outsourced IT deal.

The group, which owns the British Gas brand, has agreed a $400 million (£245.28 million) deal with HP that will involve migration to a utility-based private cloud computing environment, with HP to deliver utility services from UK data centres.

This managed services arrangement will bring significant cost-saving benefits to Centrica and improve the speed of its operations, while also helping to minimise its environmental impact.

It will also improve its business flexibility, enabling it to respond better to changing market conditions.

Dave Bickerton, the energy group's chief information officer, said: "Centrica is striving to improve our ability to respond to market changes to supply gas and electricity to homes and businesses more efficiently."

Last month, the Economic Times reported that major US banks such as JP Morgan and Citibank are looking to increase their outsourced IT investments in 2011 in order to improve their adaptability.

Posted by Lara Ward