IT Section: Contract news - So, who's tying the knot?

IT services group CMG has won a #100,000 contract with the Royal Mail every month we take a look at which companies are getting together, what the deals are worth and what they involve. to develop a system to monitor the performance and maintenance costs of its UK distribution fleet. The system is part of an overall project looking at performance indicators and the cost effectiveness and efficiency of postal services.

Druid has clinched a #159,000 contract with Virgin Trains. It will work with Virgin on a SAP accounting system project to make its finance systems Y2K and Euro compliant. The project is scheduled to be finished in March 1999.

Hodgson Chemicals, a manufacturer of specialist chemicals for the leather industry, has awarded an IT outsourcing contract to Digica. The deal is worth #45,000 a year.

International capital project and facilities consultancy, EC Harris, has been appointed to provide a one-stop shop service, through internal divisions and sub-consultants, for the #38m refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building in Whitehall, for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The refurbishment will include a major upgrade of the external structure, the infrastructure and the internal space.

Oracle and Ernst & Young have announced plans to form a strategic alliance for customer relationship management solutions. The two firms will develop, market, sell and implement products and services, and provide collaborative solutions to joint clients.

NTA Monitor has linked up with management consultants Druid to make its Internet connection more secure and to build its global private network using the latest Internet security system. The firewall system will be installed in both Druid’s UK and Singapore offices. The order is worth #36,000.

Logica has been awarded a major contract by the National Bank of Hungary to implement a new national clearing and settlement system for high value inter-bank payments. The system will go live in September 1999.

IT services group Admiral has won a contract to supply a new and secure IT system to the cabinet office. The new system will provide desktop office automation facilities.

Leisure management company, Circa Leisure, has won a 10-year contract with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to manage its Lee Valley Leisure Pool. The pool is due to re-open in March following a #3m, three-year refurbishment programme.

The Sema Group is to lead a consortium of statutory, voluntary, and private sector organisations to manage the pilot programme for the Government’s latest New Deal, providing personal advisors for disabled people. The deal is worth #2m over two years, and Sema will provide feedback to the Government.

Licensed leisure consultancy Mercury Management has won a five-year contract which will involve it spending #20m on purchasing high quality freehold freehouses throughout England over the next year. Mercury will work with a newly formed investment scheme company, Traditional Free Houses.

Computer Sciences Corporation has signed a 10-year Business Process Outsourcing contract with Irish Life’s UK subsidiary, City of Westminster Assurance. The #17m deal will see CSC take day to day responsibility for the 150,000 life and pension policies currently held by CWA.