EDF Energy outsources IT support to Capgemini

£100m outsourcing deal should cut costs and improve services...

Gas and electricity supplier EDF Energy is to outsource much of its IT support to Capgemini in a contract worth up to £100m.

The contract is initially for three years and EDF Energy has the option to extend it by a further two years. If the full term of the contract is seen out, EDF Energy will have invested £100m by the end of 2015.

The main objective of the outsourcing deal is to improve the quality of IT support services for EDF Energy's UK business, making them more consistent and standardised.

EDF Energy is aiming to cut costs and improve the quality of IT support through an outsourcing deal with Capgemini
Photo: Lauren Tucker

As part of the contract, Capgemini will provide IT service desk support and managed desktop services – including email, instant messaging and file sharing – for EDF Energy's 15,000 IT users.

Capgemini will also assist EDF Energy with its technology procurement.

The outsourcing arrangement will result in some of EDF Energy's IT staff - as well as some staff from its current IT suppliers - moving to Capgemini, most of whom will be based in the UK.

According to EDF Energy, one of the main reasons it chose Capgemini was its approach to cutting desktop-support operating costs while improving services for users. Capgemini's strength in data security was also an important factor, EDF Energy said.

"Capgemini demonstrated a clear understanding of our business needs and offered convincing proposals that will add value to our IT users and to our business. We are sure their teams will work effectively with ours," EDF Energy's head of client computing and telecoms Bob Barker said in a statement.

Barker added that Capgemini's flexibility should allow it to support any changes that EDF Energy – which is investing heavily in low-carbon electricity generation such as nuclear and wind - may undergo in the future in terms of staff numbers and extra services.