TfL undertakes outsourcing overhaul

Transport for London is undertaking a massive shake-up of its outsourcing deals, in a move that will see some work brought back in-house.

Currently Transport for London (TfL) outsources its desktop management to CSC and network management to Fujitsu Services, with other suppliers, such as BT, undertaking smaller pieces of work.

The outsourcing review is part of a two-year technology overhaul being undertaken at TfL by chief information officer Phil Pavitt.

Most of TfL's outsourcing contracts were signed eight years ago and are up for renewal over the next 18 to 24 months.

Pavitt said in the past that TfL has outsourced some of the strategic intelligence that should have been kept "this side of the fence".

In an exclusive interview with ZDNet.co.uk sister site silicon.com, he said: "We may have given away one or two things we should have kept… for ourselves."

The outsourcing review is due to be completed by September this year and Pavitt said he expects some contracts to be extended, some to be repackaged and some to be brought back in-house.

He said: "All I can say to you now is: we have 17 prime outsourcers; we won't have 17 by the time I've finished. What we will have, I'm not sure, but it will be a blend of in and out."