Is Tabcorp EDS's secret 'mega-deal'?

Representatives from EDS and Tabcorp refuse to comment on rumours that the gambling giant has outsourced its IT operations to the Texas-based IT service provider.

Earlier this month, EDS managing director Chris Mitchell told the media that EDS had "won a number of new contracts this year already" and that one of them is "in the mega-deal range in our language".

"Unfortunately I can't mention the name of the customer at this stage, but we hope to in the coming weeks. It's a significant contract in the infrastructure space," he added.

Users claiming to be Tabcorp employees have posted entries on popular tech forum Whirlpool, saying that they have been offered jobs at EDS and that a refusal to sign on with the outsourcer "is treated as a resignation by Tabcorp".

Spokespeople for both EDS and Tabcorp refused to comment.

Tabcorp has been investigating outsourcing opportunities for some time. Back in March of last year, the company said it was evaluating outsourcing options around "the simplification of infrastructure and applications to dramatically lower capex and opex".

ZDNet.com.au understands that IBM, EDS, CSC and Telstra were all involved in the tender.

In Tabcorp's first half results for 2008, the betting conglomerate said that "management action was underway" on issues around IT optimisation and outsourcing.