IT deal lets Clear focus

By ADAM GIDDIFORD

Clear Communications has outsourced management of its corporate information technology to Unisys in a five-year, $50 million deal.

As part of the agreement, about 40 Clear staff have transferred to Unisys, which has bought some of Clear's hardware, including mainframes, servers and desktop PCs.

Clear will continue to run the infrastructure and operations associated with its telephone network and internet services.

"We still retain control of the planning and architecture of our systems, but Unisys can hopefully give me more options than doing it in-house," said Clear IT director Graham Walmsley.

"We can draw on Unisys' experience and access to global best practice."

Information technology was moving so quickly that it made sense for Clear to focus on its core business needs and outsource standard infrastructure.

Mr Walmsley said the deal built on earlier agreement to join forces in delivering Unisys ASP (application service provider) services through Clear's fibre-optic network.

Unisys also has major outsourcing agreements with the Land Transport Safety Authority, Placemakers, The Warehouse, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services.