CSC purchase helps HP win Vodafone deal

By ADAM GIFFORD

Hewlett Packard's purchase of the New Zealand operations of Computer Sciences Corporation is paying off, with its increased services capability being a factor in it winning a massive trans-Tasman outsourcing deal with Vodafone.

HP New Zealand services head Mark Bowman would not confirm Australian reports the deal was worth A$50 million over three years, but said a substantial part of that deal relates to New Zealand support.

Vodafone has 2 million Australian customers and 1 million here.

"We signalled to the market when we bought CSC that we were serious about services and increasing out presence in the outsourcing market," Bowman said.

"That acquisition makes winning this type of business much easier. It added building blocks of capability and improved our credibility in the market."

HP boosted its New Zealand services division from 30 to 100 people through the CSC deal, and that number will rise with the latest contract.

Under the deal, HP will supply desktop support, help desk, servers and printing services for Vodafone's almost 3000 employees in Australia and New Zealand.

It will offer 49 of the 64 affected Vodafone IT workers full time jobs, with the others offered three month contracts.

"One of the key things in the deal for us and for Vodafone is the cultures are closely aligned. We are both very people-centric companies," Bowman said.

Vodafone will continue to run applications and infrastructure specific to its telephone networks.

HP will upgrade and standardise Vodafone's desktop software to Microsoft Exchange 2000 XP, which will also offer a mobile Bluetooth capability.