Australian bank Westpac has signed a five year contract, worth over NZ$100 million, with Telecom NZ for the provision of managed information and communications technology (ICT) services for its New Zealand operations.
Under the agreement, Telecom NZ will assume responsibility for the bank's data connectivity, voice services, contact centre system, Internet, extranet, remote access, mobile integration, service management and transition management. The company says its Gen-i division will play a key role in delivering the services.
Westpac says the tender process for the contract was one of the most robust ever undertaken and it awarded Telecom NZ the deal after deliberating for nine months over responses.
Commenting on the deal, Ann Sherry, chief executive of Westpac New Zealand, says having the right telecommunications base and capability is a critical element of being able to deliver a good service to customers.
"Alongside continuing to make improvements in this all-important area, we have opportunities to deliver further improvements in our efficiency of operation, and our partnership with Telecom supports that approach," adds Sherry.
Telecom NZ says the deal is believed to be one of the largest ever contracts for the provision of telecommunications in New Zealand.